In the news….

Tuesday happenings…

• Yep, that was Courtney down at San Juan Excursions hanging a sign, so – welcome, baby Layla! Pete & Erin are still in Seattle, and hope to be back on-island at the end of the week.

Margaret & Albert celebrating Kimbell's graduation from Georgetone earlier this year...

• I saw Kimbell earlier this month at Marketplace & she told me she was flying out to Chicago for an interview….well, she got the job! So, she left the island last week for Illinois…here’s a graduation notice that proud mom Margaret sent about her Georgetown grad:

Kimbell Hall, the daughter of Margaret and Albert Hall of Friday Harbor, graduated cum laude from Georgetown University in Washington D.C. in May, with a major in Art History and a minor in Italian.  She is starting work as a Media Associate at Starcom Mediavest Group in Chicago, their global headquarters.  Starcom Mediavest Group is an international media/advertising company with 110 offices in 67 countries.

Islanders' Bob Coleman (flanked by Ron & Becki, left, and Michele & Pat) announces the bank would serve as the lead sponsor for this year's Celebrity Golf Classic.

• Islanders Bank’s Bob Coleman just wrote to me to say he was retiring…that is a huge loss for our community. Bob has done awesome things during his tenure there to make sure the bank has been a community bank that involves itself in the community, whether it’s sponsoring a Team at Relay for Life or becoming the lead sponsor for the Celebrity Golf Classic, or more. He’ll be much missed. He has a letter to the community he asked if I would share with you:

“Each of Us Depends on All of Us”  –  A BIG THANK YOU !!!

As the former President, CEO/CFO, Director and Secretary of the Board of Islanders Bank, I would like to take this opportunity to thank the citizens of San Juan County for continuing to support our local business communities by buying, shopping and banking locally.  It is so important to support these hard working, dedicated entrepreneurs that are the drivers of our local economies.   I would also like to thank all of our customers and supporters for your continuing faith and confidence in Islanders Bank during the past few years of unprecedented global, national, and local economic challenges combined with major collapses within the financial industry.

As I leave Islanders Bank, I am both humbled and honored to have been a part of an outstanding team of local banking professionals that not only take great pride in providing excellent customer service, but also take great pride in taking Islanders Bank to the top of the heap in Washington state.  Islanders Bank has been the Number 1 performing bank in Washington State, and in the top 3% nationally, for the past several quarters, and, presumably this high performance trend will continue for many quarters to come. (Based upon pre-tax Return On Average Assets)

As relatively new people to the islands, my wife Linda, and I, learned early on that we probably won’t live long enough to be considered true “Islanders” but, we are both very proud to be considered  “locals” and, as such, feel so very fortunate to live, work and reside in the beautiful San Juan Islands where the true meaning of “community” rings loud and clear at all levels – and also where, “Each of Us Truly Depends on All of Us”

Thanks again to all of you, our friends and neighbors,  and especially the Islanders Bank Team for all of your support and consideration these past several years.

Respectfully and with warm personal regards,

Bob Coleman

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