PHILADELPHIA, March 7, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Republic First Bancorp, Inc. (NASDAQ: FRBK), the parent company of Republic Bank, today announced that Vernon Hill, and his wife, Shirley, are being recognized by Roman Catholic High School with its 24th Annual Greater Philadelphia Area Leadership Award. Mr. and Mrs. Hill will accept the honor at the Union League of Philadelphia this evening at 7:00 p.m. All proceeds from the event help to provide tuition assistance for Roman Catholic students.
Roman Catholic High School was founded in 1890 by Philadelphia businessman Thomas E. Cahill. At the time of its establishment, it was the first free Catholic high school for boys in the United States. Roman Catholic offers a comprehensive academic curriculum in a spiritual environment for nearly 1,000 young men from across the Delaware Valley. The school boasts strong cultural, racial and religious diversity, and 95 percent of its graduates go on to pursue post-secondary education. The Greater Philadelphia Area Leadership Award is annually bestowed upon admirable business and civic leaders who consistently demonstrate a strong commitment to the region through service and philanthropy. Mr. and Mrs. Hill are the first husband and wife team to receive this prestigious award.
Vernon Hill is the Chairman and founder of Metro Bank, the first new retail bank in Britain in more than 100 years, which on March 7 listed on the London Stock Premium Exchange with a market value of $2.2 billion.
Often credited with reinventing American banking, he is also the founder, former Chairman and president of Commerce Bank, which started as one branch in Marlton, NJ in 1973 and expanded to 500 branches by 2007, powered by Mr. Hill's philosophy that great companies are built by creating Fans not Customers. He currently serves as a consultant to and is a major shareholder of Republic Bank, which is rapidly expanding in the Philadelphia and South Jersey region. Mr. Hill is also Chairman of Petplan North America.
Shirley Hill is the founder and principal of InterArch, an integrated architecture, design and branding firm that is responsible for the revolutionary design and interior aesthetics for both Republic Bank's and Metro Bank's stores, as well as overseeing all creative advertising campaigns. She is praised by clients across the globe for her innovative approach to design that yields a competitive advantage by fully understanding the end user's needs.
"Each year, Roman Catholic aims to select leaders from the Delaware Valley who demonstrate an exceptional passion for the community and its residents," said Father Joseph Bongard, president and rector, Roman Catholic High School. "In 2016, we had to look no further than Vernon and Shirley Hill. They are legendary entrepreneurs who throughout their extraordinarily successful careers have always made time to give back to their local communities. They embody the time-honored principles of the Greater Philadelphia Area Leadership Award."
Together, Mr. and Mrs. Hill are involved in a number of charitable organizations and frequently donate their time, talent and resources to better the Philadelphia community and beyond. The couple is passionate about animals, including their beloved Yorkshire Terrier, Sir Duffield "Duffy," and support the Penn Vet World and Student Inspiration Awards, the UK Kennel Club Inspiration Awards and the Battersea Dogs & Cat Home. The Vernon and Shirley Hill Pavilion at the University of Pennsylvania Veterinary School was erected in their honor.
"Shirley and I are proud to be the recipients of this year's award, helping to support Roman Catholic High School's mission of fostering academic excellence and personal integrity," said Mr. Hill. "I have always believed that with hard work and determination, anyone can achieve their goals. I hope to impart this knowledge to Roman Catholic students, and I encourage each of them to use their education and the skills they have learned to achieve their wildest dreams."
"We always strive to give back to the communities we serve in a very meaningful way," said Mrs. Hill. "Roman Catholic High School represents an incredible success story, welcoming a diverse group of students and preparing them to be our region's next generation of leaders. We are thrilled to assist an organization that shares our values and empowers young students to think big and achieve their goals."
Building on the momentum of its aggressive growth plan, coined "The Power of Red is Back," Republic Bank continues to rapidly expand its regional footprint with its new store under construction in Washington Township, NJ. New store locations are planned for this year in Moorestown, Medford, and a second store in Cherry Hill, NJ. In addition, relocation is underway of its Ardmore store to an innovative all-glass store in Wynnewood, PA. As one of the largest Philadelphia-based retail banking institutions with 17 convenient locations regionally, 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.
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 seventeen offices located in Abington, Ardmore, Bala Cynwyd, Plymouth Meeting, Media and Philadelphia, Pennsylvania and Berlin, Cherry Hill, Glassboro, Haddonfield, Marlton and Voorhees 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.
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