Orion's Fallen Star

On the evening of Oct. 5, 2005, hundreds of executives gathered at the Naples Grande Hotel to hear Jerry Williams speak.

Williams, the chairman, chief executive officer and president of Orion Bank, was basking in the glory of being named to the Collier County Business Leadership Hall of Fame by Junior Achievement. It was a crowning achievement for a Collier County outsider who had moved his bank's headquarters to Naples from the Florida Keys only three years earlier.

In his acceptance speech at the $250-a-plate event, Williams urged the youngsters in attendance to take risks early in life because they'd have too much to lose later.