ORLANDO, FL--(Marketwired - Jun 18, 2015) - Ken LaRoe, CEO and Founder of First GREEN Bank, was honored by Ernst & Young (EY) as the winner of the Entrepreneur of the Year award for Florida. He won the award for the Financial Services category, making him one of only two Central Florida entrepreneurs to receive the prestigious honor. LaRoe won the award because of First GREEN Bank's success and his commitment to benefiting the community, environment and his employees.
In the past year alone, LaRoe has gone above and beyond to live out the bank's environmental and social mission. With the assistance of the First GREEN Bank staff, LaRoe refunded the First GREEN Foundation's solar grant program to provide Central Florida the resources to invest in renewable energy. Last year, he implemented a living wage for employees, which provides all employees a minimum $30,000 yearly salary, without a salary cap. LaRoe and his team also recently partnered with local non-profit, Clean the World, to bring awareness to the health issues facing communities around the world. LaRoe, who was named a finalist for the past two years, was thrilled to be recognized as this year's award recipient.
"This recognition is one of the highlights of my career, and it makes me proud to receive it on behalf of First GREEN Bank," said Ken LaRoe, CEO and Founder of First GREEN Bank. "It's an honor to be acknowledged among such a successful and innovative group of leaders. Bringing the award back to the bank is not only a thank you for the team's incredible support but also to serve as a reminder that our hard work pays off. This will encourage me to continuously push my business to do what's right for our customers, the environment and the community."
This year's EY Entrepreneur of the Year winners consist of leading entrepreneurs who were selected by an independent panel of judges made up of previous award recipients, CEOs and other regional business leaders. Each year, the business community comes together to celebrate honorees who not only create and build market-leading businesses, but also help take the standard of excellence to new heights, transform the face of industry, create jobs and contribute to the vibrancy of communities.
About First GREEN Bank
First GREEN Bank, which opened in February 2009, was organized by experienced banking executives and business leaders in Central Florida, and was designed to be the first bank of its kind to promote positive environmental and social responsibility while providing for increased profits for investors and clients. First GREEN Bank leads by example, promoting environmentally responsible behavior through its own business and employees, and by offering lower interest rates for commercial projects that meet green building certification defined by the U.S. Green Building Council's Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) standards.
Headquartered in Mount Dora, First GREEN Bank has locations in Clermont, Ormond Beach and Orlando, and Winter Park. First GREEN Bank offers personal and commercial banking services such as loans, mortgages, checking and savings, CDs, IRAs and money markets.
To find out more about First GREEN Bank, visit www.firstgreenbank.com.
Contact Information:
Media Contact
Christina Heflin
Uproar PR for First GREEN Bank
321-236-0102 x 224