PHILADELPHIA, Nov. 19, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- Republic First Bancorp, Inc. (NASDAQ: FRBK), the holding company for Republic Bank, today announced that Rhonda Costello, Executive Vice President/Chief Retail Officer, has been selected as a 2014 Women of Distinction Award recipient, presented by the Philadelphia Business Journal. The award honors the region's most influential women who have made a difference in the community, created opportunities for others and left an indelible mark on Philadelphia business.
A trailblazer in banking since beginning her career as a part-time teller, Costello joined Commerce Bank in 1985 as a store manager and was the first woman to hold a senior leadership role at the bank. During the next two decades, she became an integral part of the Commerce executive team, helping to build the brand's reputation for elite customer service. Since joining Republic Bank in 2008, Costello has helped transform the bank into a customer-focused, retail-centric institution and was instrumental in growing core deposits by 82 percent while also increasing consumer loan growth by more than $12 million. Republic Bank now touts 14 locations and has an aggressive expansion plan lined up for 2015 and beyond, coined "The Power of Red is Back."
"I am both proud and humbled to be named a Woman of Distinction by the Philadelphia Business Journal – especially among such an impressive group of women," said Costello. "Celebrating the accomplishments of so many influential females and hearing the stories of my fellow award recipients was inspiring, and I am confident that we will continue to work together to make the Philadelphia region a better place to do business and a better place to live."
A South Jersey native, Costello is passionate about the region and donates her time and expertise to a number of local non-profit organizations. She is a trustee on the board for The Joseph Fund, serving the people of Camden, NJ and was appointed to the Kennedy University Hospital Board of Trustees in 2013. She has previously served on boards and committees for the United Way, YMCA and American Heart Association.
"We had numerous high-quality applications for the Women of Distinction this year, and my only regret is that we couldn't honor more," said Craig Ey, Editor-in-Chief, Philadelphia Business Journal. "This year's class of winners embodies all of what makes the Philadelphia region great. They are talented, passionate about what they do and committed to personal, professional and community success."
Costello and her 30 fellow honorees were recognized on Tuesday, November 18, 2014 at Vie in Philadelphia. The event brought together 400 regional business leaders for an awards ceremony and networking event.
As one of the largest Philadelphia-based retail banking institutions, Republic Bank stores are open seven days a week, 361 days a year, with extended lobby and drive-thru hours, providing customers with the longest hours of any bank in the area. The bank also offers absolutely free checking, free coin counting, ATM/Debit cards issued on the spot and access to more than 55,000 surcharge free ATMs worldwide via the Allpoint network.
For more information about Republic Bank, please visit www.myrepublicbank.com.
About Republic Bank
Republic Bank is the operating name for Republic First Bank. Republic First Bank is a full-service, state-chartered commercial bank, whose deposits are insured up to the applicable limits by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC). The Bank provides diversified financial products through its fourteen offices located in Abington, Ardmore, Bala Cynwyd, Plymouth Meeting, Media and Philadelphia, Pennsylvania and Cherry Hill, Voorhees and Haddonfield, New Jersey.
Forward Looking Statements
Republic First Bancorp, Inc. ("the Company") may from time to time make written or oral "forward-looking statements", including statements contained in this release and in the Company's filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. These forward-looking statements include statements with respect to the Company's beliefs, plans, objectives, goals, expectations, anticipations, estimates, and intentions that are subject to significant risks and uncertainties and are subject to change based on various factors, many of which are beyond the Company's control. These factors include competition, timing, credit risks of lending activities, changes in general economic conditions, price pressures on loan and deposit products, and other factors detailed from time to time in the Company's filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The words "may", "could", "should", "would", "believe", "anticipate", "estimate", "expect", "intend", "plan", and similar expressions are intended to identify forward-looking statements. All such statements are made in good faith by the Company pursuant to the "safe harbor" provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. The Company does not undertake to update any forward-looking statement, whether written or oral, that may be made from time to time by or on behalf of the Company, except as may be required by applicable law or regulations.
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SOURCE Republic First Bancorp, Inc.