National industry group taps area banker for leadership role

TAMPA — Rita Lowman, president of Tampa-based Pilot Bank, has been named to the American Bankers Association’s board of directors. She will also serve as 2021 vice chairwoman of the ABA’s Government Relations Council, and then take over as chairwoman in 2022. 

According to a press release, Lowman’s appointment to the council marks the first time in more than a decade a Florida banker has held a leadership role with the ABA. In 2017, she chaired the ABA board of directors. 

“It’s an honor to be in the company of such great leaders that bring national banking experience to this long-standing American institution,” Lowman states in the release. “I plan to use my years of experience to contribute to the banking industry’s opportunities set forth by the leadership of the ABA.”

Lowman, the release states, is a 40-year veteran of the banking industry and has been an advocate for banks at the national level, working to enhance the Bank Secrecy Act and Compliance regulations. 

Pilot Bank, with branches in Lakeland, St. Petersburg, Tampa and Temple Terrace, has more than $300 million in assets. It reported $19.32 million in gross revenue in 2019, up from $14.5 million in 2018.