Longtime Sarasota bank executive, politico to chair national trust board

A new board chair has been appointed to the Canandaigua National Trust of Florida, following a retirement. 

Sarasota-based Christine Jennings will take over the seat as George Hamlin IV retires, according to a statement. Jennings, a Democrat who ran an unsuccessful race against current U.S Rep. Vern Buchanan, R-Longboat Key, in 2006 and 2008, has been serving on the CNTF board since 2015. 

Jennings was the senior vice president and chief lending officer of Liberty National Bank in Manatee County before she founded and chaired Sarasota Bank for nearly 15 years.