Hizzoner joins bank board

Randy Henderson may be best known as the mayor of Fort Myers, but fewer people may know his early career was in banking.

So it was no surprise when Encore Bank announced earlier this month that Henderson would join its board of directors. Encore Bank, headquartered in Naples, reported net assets of $329 million, according to the latest data from the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. It has six branches that stretch from Sun City Center to Naples.

After earning a degree in business administration in 1979, Henderson worked in banking until 1986 when he became president of Corbin Henderson Co., a real estate firm in downtown Fort Myers.

Henderson was elected mayor of Fort Myers in 2009 during the worst of the economic downturn and he has been widely credited with helping revive the city's growth as the recovery got underway. For example, Henderson has been a champion for a new convention-center hotel in downtown Fort Myers and has smoothed the way for urban renewal along the Cleveland Avenue corridor.

Henderson is also known for keeping a relentless schedule of networking and public appearances. Encore Bank will benefit from Henderson's vast network as it boosts lending in the area.