Leonard Abess (born 1948) is an American banker and businessman and former owner of the City National Bank of Florida, the second largest financial institution in the Florida with over $22 billion in assets as of 2018.[1] CNBFL has 32 branches, from Miami-Dade County to the greater Orlando area, and nearly 1,000 employees.[2]
Abess' father, Leonard Abess Sr., was the son of Romanian Jewish parents who moved from Providence, Rhode Island, to Miami to work as an independent auditor at the First National Bank of Florida.[3] His mother, Bertha (née Ungar), was the daughter of Arthur Ungar, a Miami automobile dealer and a founder of the Temple Israel of Greater Miami.[4]
In 1946, Abess's father co-founded (with Baron de Hirsch Meyer) the City National Bank of Florida, one of the first postwar banks in the region.[3] In 1949, after local hospitals refused to hire Jewish doctors, Leonard Sr. and other Jewish residents of South Florida, pooled their resources and founded the Mount Sinai Medical Center in Miami Beach.[3] Abess Jr. graduated from The Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania.[5] He started his career at the bank in its print shop.
Career
Abess became majority owner and chairman of the City National Bank in 1984. The bank had $400 million in assets when he purchased it, which had grown to $2.75 billion at the time of its sale in 2008.[6]
In November 2008, Abess sold his 83 percent share of the bank to the Caja Madrid banking group for $927 million and shared $60 million of the proceeds with 399 current staff members and 72 former employees.[7] On February 24, 2009, President Barack Obama praised Abess in his State of the Union Address and invited Abess and another bank employee to be his guest at the speech.[8][9] Abess was later recognized as one of Time magazine's "Time 100" in 2009.[10]
Abess serves as a University of Miami trustee and, in 2006, donated $5 million to establish the University of Miami's Abess Center for Ecosystem Science and Policy.[11]
In 2007, the Miami Chamber of Commerce honored Abess and his wife Jayne with their "Sand in My Shoes Award." In 2006, the Miami Beach Chamber of Commerce gave him its "Doc Baker Lifetime Achievement Award."[13]
From 2011 until 2014, Abess served as chairman of the University of Miami's board of trustees.[14]
^Munzenrieder, Kyle. "Leonard Abess Makes TIME 100". Retrieved 2015-09-05.
^. October 26, 2006. Archived from the original on July 19, 2010. Retrieved 2009-10-09.
^. University of Miami. Archived from the original on 2010-07-19. Retrieved 2010-02-17.
^"Chamber chooses Abesses for Sand in My Shoes award". South Florida Business Journal. August 16, 2006. Retrieved 2010-02-03.
^"University of Miami: Board of Trustees". www6.miami.edu. Retrieved 2015-09-04.
April 11, 2023
leonard, abess, leonard, abess, born, 1948, american, banker, businessman, former, owner, city, national, bank, florida, second, largest, financial, institution, florida, with, over, billion, assets, 2018, cnbfl, branches, from, miami, dade, county, greater, o. Leonard Abess born 1948 is an American banker and businessman and former owner of the City National Bank of Florida the second largest financial institution in the Florida with over 22 billion in assets as of 2018 1 CNBFL has 32 branches from Miami Dade County to the greater Orlando area and nearly 1 000 employees 2 Leonard L AbessBornLeonard L Abess1948 age 74 75 NationalityAmericanOccupationBanker Contents 1 Early life and education 2 Career 3 Philanthropy 4 ReferencesEarly life and education EditAbess father Leonard Abess Sr was the son of Romanian Jewish parents who moved from Providence Rhode Island to Miami to work as an independent auditor at the First National Bank of Florida 3 His mother Bertha nee Ungar was the daughter of Arthur Ungar a Miami automobile dealer and a founder of the Temple Israel of Greater Miami 4 In 1946 Abess s father co founded with Baron de Hirsch Meyer the City National Bank of Florida one of the first postwar banks in the region 3 In 1949 after local hospitals refused to hire Jewish doctors Leonard Sr and other Jewish residents of South Florida pooled their resources and founded the Mount Sinai Medical Center in Miami Beach 3 Abess Jr graduated from The Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania 5 He started his career at the bank in its print shop Career EditAbess became majority owner and chairman of the City National Bank in 1984 The bank had 400 million in assets when he purchased it which had grown to 2 75 billion at the time of its sale in 2008 6 In November 2008 Abess sold his 83 percent share of the bank to the Caja Madrid banking group for 927 million and shared 60 million of the proceeds with 399 current staff members and 72 former employees 7 On February 24 2009 President Barack Obama praised Abess in his State of the Union Address and invited Abess and another bank employee to be his guest at the speech 8 9 Abess was later recognized as one of Time magazine s Time 100 in 2009 10 Leonard Abess is a former director of the Miami Branch of the Federal Reserve Bank Philanthropy EditAbess serves as a University of Miami trustee and in 2006 donated 5 million to establish the University of Miami s Abess Center for Ecosystem Science and Policy 11 Abess and his wife also founded a floating research station in the Brazilian Amazon and the Abess Center for Environmental Studies at Miami Country Day School 12 In 2007 the Miami Chamber of Commerce honored Abess and his wife Jayne with their Sand in My Shoes Award In 2006 the Miami Beach Chamber of Commerce gave him its Doc Baker Lifetime Achievement Award 13 From 2011 until 2014 Abess served as chairman of the University of Miami s board of trustees 14 References Edit City National Bank completes acquisition of TotalBank https www bizjournals com southflorida news 2018 06 18 city national bank completes buy of totalbank html City National Bank financials on the website http www citynationalcm com home about financial Archived 2013 09 28 at the Wayback Machine a b c Miami FL Jewish Philanthropist Shares His Wealth Of 60 Million With All Of His Employees Vos Iz Neias February 16 2009 Zerivitz Marcia Jo February 18 2009 Jews of Greater Miami Arcadia Publishing ISBN 9781531644154 Memmott A James February 26 2009 Leonard Abess a banker who gave away millions Muckety Archived from the original on February 28 2009 Retrieved 2009 02 27 Bryher Monique Leonard Abess Jr the role model for corporate responsibility Norfolk Examiner Banker hands out 60M to workers UPI February 15 2009 Retrieved 2010 02 04 Kampeas Ron February 25 2009 Jewish banker sets heartfelt tone for Obama speech Jewish Telegraph Agency Brannigan Martha Miami banker praised by Obama wasn t seeking limelight Miami Herald Retrieved 2010 02 04 dead link Munzenrieder Kyle Leonard Abess Makes TIME 100 Retrieved 2015 09 05 Leonard and Jayne Abess endow Ecosystem Science and Policy Center with a 5 million gift October 26 2006 Archived from the original on July 19 2010 Retrieved 2009 10 09 In the News October 26 2006 University of Miami Archived from the original on 2010 07 19 Retrieved 2010 02 17 Chamber chooses Abesses for Sand in My Shoes award South Florida Business Journal August 16 2006 Retrieved 2010 02 03 University of Miami Board of Trustees www6 miami edu Retrieved 2015 09 04 Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Leonard L Abess amp oldid 1091233459, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
