Retail & Commercial

By pressing forward in business banking, auto lending and branch expansion, CEO Stephen Steinour has Huntington moving fast — and thinking big.

Eight acquisitions in two years have positioned CenterState as one of Florida's breakout banks. Meanwhile, John Corbett's shrewd maneuver into correspondent banking — as others were exiting the business — has generated new revenue streams.

Throughout his three decades in Congress, Barney Frank reached across the aisle to tackle big problems, and crafted groundbreaking legislation with far-reaching effects for banks.

Will our decisions turn out to be the right ones?

De novo banks are rare in Britain, where a handful of venerable but unpopular institutions rule the market—and Vernon Hill couldn't be happier there.

The Bethesda, Md., bank Paul founded in 1998 has reported increased profits in 15 straight quarters, and it's showing no signs of slowing down. Paul's relentless pavement pounding has yielded lasting and profitable relationships.

Citizens Republic was on the ropes when Cathleen Nash took it over in 2009, but by mid-2011 it was making money again. Investors liked what they saw, and were even happier in September when the company announced it would sell itself to FirstMerit.

This year's winners include nimble strategist John Corbett of CenterState, able ambassador Ron Paul of Eagle Bancorp and turn-around artist Cathleen Nash of Citizens Republic.

During three decades in Congress, Barney Frank reached across the aisle to tackle big problems and craft groundbreaking legislation.

The hardest part of selecting Community Bankers of the Year is narrowing down the field to three. Here's a look at the trio who stood out the most and seven others who merit honorable mentions.