Second home

You might see fewer Michigan license plates as winter visitors leave Southwest Florida, but you're going to see the state's name appear on more buildings across the region.

Since Lake Michigan Credit Union opened its first branch in Bonita Springs in the fall, President and CEO Sandra Jelinski says the lender plans to make a big push in Florida by opening branches and possibly making acquisitions. “Your market is fabulous,” says Jelinski, who purchased a home in Quail West in Naples last year.

Founded in 1933 as a teachers' credit union in Grand Rapids, Mich., the lender now has more than $4.3 billion in assets, 41 branches, 345,000 members and 1,000 employees. Jelinski, who started as a clerk with the credit union 30 years ago and rose through the ranks, has grown the credit union's assets tenfold during her 15-year tenure as the chief executive.