Leader of St. Petersburg bank to retire at year’s end

BayFirst National Bank CEO Anthony Leo has announced his retirement, effective Dec. 3. He’ll be succeeded in the role by Thomas Zernick, who currently serves as the St. Petersburg-based community bank’s president.

Leo has led the locally owned bank, formerly known as First Home Bank, since August 2013, helping to grow its total assets from $69 million to nearly $1 billion, according to a news release. He will remain affiliated with the bank as a member of the board of directors and special counsel for strategic matters.

“Tony has been instrumental in the evolution of BayFirst into one of the premier banking institutions in the region, and among the top SBA lenders in the nation,” BayFirst Bank Board Chairman Anthony Saravanos states in the release. “The board is grateful to Tony for his dedication to BayFirst and wishes him the best in the future.”