When Dan Benton became treasurer of Excelsior Beach to Bay Condominiums in Sarasota, Florida, he expected a learning curve. What he didn’t expect was having to negotiate a financial maze.
As Benton reviewed the condominium association’s finances, he discovered funds spread among multiple banks, outdated account signers, dormant accounts and concerns about deposit insurance coverage. With funds spread across seven accounts serving two separate entities, what should have been a straightforward financial structure had become increasingly difficult to manage.
“I wanted to narrow down these banks,” Benton said. “It didn’t make sense to have all these accounts.”
However, the challenge wasn’t simply a matter of reducing the number of accounts to a manageable few. Benton needed to create a structure that offered greater visibility, stronger controls, fluent financial operations and easier continuity for future board members.
More Than Accounts: A Need for Answers
Commercial Banking Solutions Relationship Managers Georgia Hendricks and Taylor Harrison took a closer look at Excelsior’s overall banking relationships.
Through detailed conversations with Benton and the association’s leadership team, they worked to understand cash flow, operational challenges and long-term objectives.
At the same time, the team helped onboard new board leadership, update authorized signers and establish treasury management access for board members located across the country.
A process that might have become a logistical headache instead became an opportunity to demonstrate how, at Regions, extra is our ordinary.
It’s an approach that began with listening.
“When a customer has a problem, it’s important to take a consultative approach,” Hendricks said. “Ask thoughtful, detailed questions to uncover opportunities that may not be immediately visible.”
By looking beyond individual accounts and understanding the association’s broader goals, the Regions team uncovered opportunities to simplify operations and strengthen the overall banking relationship.
Not Just Responsive. Proactive.
For Benton, what set Regions apart wasn’t just a slate of products. It was the people behind the relationship.
Hendricks and Harrison consistently looked beyond Excelsior’s immediate needs to identify how to make operations more effective. They remained engaged, followed up regularly and worked through challenges alongside the client. Whether coordinating access issues, helping navigate treasury management tools or connecting Excelsior with additional resources, their attention remained focused on the association’s long-term needs.
“Quite honestly, they are the reasons we moved all our accounts to Regions,” Benton said of Hendricks and Taylor. “Not only were they helpful, but they were both responsive and proactive on our account. If Georgia couldn’t handle an issue immediately, she got someone who could.”
Harrison played an equally involved role. Working closely with Benton and his accounting team, she regularly provided treasury management guidance and support.
We can share the screen and take a hands-on approach. That way we’re all accountable.
“We can share the screen and take a hands-on approach,” Harrison said. “That way we’re all accountable.”
She also understood that Benton wasn’t simply managing accounts. He was trying to leave the condominium association in a stronger position than when he found it.
“They are trying to simplify,” Harrison said. “This isn’t Dan’s job. On his off hours, he’s trying to make the HOA simpler and more efficient for all future presidents.”
Together, Hendricks and Harrison focused on a common goal: helping Excelsior create a more efficient and sustainable financial framework for years to come.
Consolidation With a Purpose
As trust grew, so did the relationship.
Regions helped Excelsior streamline its banking structure and consolidate deposits that had been dispersed among multiple institutions.
The result was a clearer financial picture, stronger operational controls and improved oversight of association funds. Just as importantly, Benton and the board gained confidence that their banking relationship was aligned with the condominium’s future needs.
A Relationship Built on Trust
When Benton first examined Excelsior’s finances, changing banks seemed a distinct possibility. Today, he sees the situation differently.
“With everything we had going on, the last thing we needed to do was change banks,” Benton said. “Georgia saved it.”
In the end, Excelsior’s story isn’t about account consolidation. It’s about earning trust through consistent follow-through and a willingness to understand what matters most to the client.
By keeping their focus on Excelsior’s ultimate needs rather than individual transactions, Hendricks and Harrison helped the association gain tighter control over its financial operations. In the process, they earned the confidence that led Excelsior to bring its banking relationship fully to Regions.
Our ability to connect with the client, understand their needs and deliver on our promises is what drove this success and strengthened the relationship.
For Hendricks, that outcome reflects the power of relationship banking.
“Our ability to connect with the client, understand their needs and deliver on our promises is what drove this success and strengthened the relationship,” she said.
More importantly, it gave Benton and the board confidence that they had a bank that was invested not only in today’s challenges, but in the condominium association’s future as well.