Banking

Bell III Commerce Bank of Southwest Florida, a locally owned and operated community bank, announced the election of Edward Bell III to the bank's Board of Directors. Bell is a Certified Financial Planner professional and principal of Cornerstone Financial Planning, Inc., a financial planning firm located in Fort Myers. A resident of Fort Myers, Bell co-founded Cornerstone Financial Planning with his father Edward Bell, Jr. in 2004. Before that, he was a capital markets officer with First Union National Bank (now known as Wachovia) in Charlotte, North Carolina, where he worked on the Interest Rate Swaps and Credit Derivatives desks.

Colonial Bank has promoted Knox McMasters to senior vice president, business banking manager, according to Harlan C. Parrish, president and CEO of Colonial Bank's Florida West Coast region. McMasters oversees the business development and lending activities of six business banking officers between Naples and Sarasota. He has more than 30 years of experience in the banking industry. He also is a board member and treasurer of the Bonita Springs Area Housing Development Corporation, a member of the Rotary Club of Fort Myers-South and a United Way volunteer.

McMasters