ABOUT US

 

Cypress Trust Company is a boutique corporate fiduciary that focuses exclusively on providing customized trust and investment management services for successful individuals and their families, non-profit organizations, foundations and endowments.

 

As an independent Florida-chartered trust company, we are governed by an elected board of directors and regulated by the Florida Office of Financial Regulation. Cypress Trust Company maintains full-service offices in Palm Beach, Naples, Vero Beach, Winter Haven, and Jacksonville, with additional representation in Sarasota and The Villages.

cypress-trust-about-florida-map-4

CORE VALUES

 

Cypress Trust Company holds certain fundamental beliefs that have formed the foundation of our relationships with our clients, our communities, and with each other. These are our Core Values. They are part of our corporate DNA, and they guide our attitude and our decision-making.

 

Integrity

Our commitment to honesty and transparency lies at the heart of who we are and what we believe. Professionalism, trust, respect, and a strict code of ethics are conveyed through all interactions with our clients, our associates, and our community.

 

Client-Centric

We put our clients’ interests ahead of our own. We take a highly personalized approach to define what is most important to them. We develop and deliver customized solutions to accomplish their goals now and for future generations.

 

Accountability

We strive to establish and meet clear expectations with our clients and with each other. We work together to resolve any issue fairly and responsibly.

 

Teamwork

Our clients benefit from the collective strengths, diversity, and unique perspectives of our team. We take a collaborative approach in working with our clients and other trusted advisors to create solutions that meet evolving needs.

 

Passion

Our passion for what we do is a powerful driver of superior achievement. We are passionate about supporting each other to be the best that we can be. We are committed to the pursuit of excellence.

 

Balance

We recognize that maintaining a healthy balance between what we do professionally and what we do for ourselves is important to our overall corporate success and personal well-being. We are fully supported in achieving that balance.

HISTORY

 

Cypress Trust Company was founded in Palm Beach, Florida in 1996 during a period of hyper bank merger and acquisition activity. During this historic period in U.S. financial history, many traditional trust departments were consolidated, talented trust officers displaced, account loads increased to unserviceable levels, trust fees raised, most small trust accounts eliminated, and many irrevocable trust accounts were forced into 1-800 call centers located in other states.

 

Our founders felt that many of the trust and investment management clients that were negatively impacted by “merger mania” would value the opportunity to do business with a local firm that offered traditional fiduciary and investment management services provided by competent people they knew and respected. Cypress Trust Company received its charter to transact a general trust business from the Comptroller of Florida and Commissioner of Banking on October 23, 1996.

 

Cypress Trust Company’s philosophy of building customized trust and investment management solutions that meet clients’ unique needs and preferences and its commitment to providing highly personalized service differentiated it from its bigger competition. In addition to attracting clients from throughout Palm Beach County, the Company also attracted many clients from the Treasure Coast and Southwest Florida areas. To better serve those clients, a second Cypress Trust Company office was established in Vero Beach in 2005, followed by a third Cypress Trust Company office in Naples in 2006. To better serve its growing client base in Central Florida, a limited facility was established in Winter Haven in 2008, later becoming a full service Cypress Trust Company office in early 2013. In addition to its offices in Palm Beach, Vero Beach, Naples, Winter Haven and Jacksonville, Cypress Trust Company also has representation in Sarasota and The Villages.

 

Cypress Trust Company continues to consider offices in other special Florida communities where its philosophy of building customized trust and investment management solutions that meet clients’ unique needs and preferences and its commitment to providing highly personalized service would be valued.

WHY CYPRESS?

 

Focus

Cypress Trust Company exclusively provides trust administration and investment management services.

 

Customization

As a boutique trust and investment management firm, we have the ability to customize our services to fit the unique needs, preferences, and family dynamics of our clients. We do not have a “one size fits all” philosophy.

 

Personalized Service

We invest the time required to fully understand what our clients are trying to achieve, to develop unique solutions that meet their individual needs, and to meticulously execute the strategies that have been agreed upon.

 

Objectivity

All Cypress Trust Company associates are salaried employees – not commissioned. Our clients never have to question whether the solutions we are recommending are in their best interests or ours because of the way we may be getting paid. We are a corporate fiduciary, and as such, we are held to a higher standard. Our mandate is to always put our clients’ interests ahead of our own.

 

Collaboration

We feel that our clients are best served when we collaborate with their other trusted advisors during the solutions development process. Our goal is to help our clients have the best possible solutions for achieving their goals.

 

Pro-Active Communication

We recognize that our clients’ lives are not static. Things change. Some changes are planned and some come as a surprise. There are changes in careers, retirement goals, income needs, family status, health condition, residency, inheritances, gifting plans, and just changes in the way our clients feel about things. We believe in pro-actively communicating with our clients and their families on a regular basis so we can remain aware of their circumstances and help them adjust their strategies to meet the changes in their lives.

BOARD OF DIRECTORS

 

James T. Swann – Chairman

Padma Chigurupati – Vice Chairman

Tom Hermansen

Robert Goldstein

Michael Coleman

John Tranter

John Cole Oliver

Wayne Wolfson

Dana Kilborne

John Marino

SENIOR MANAGEMENT

Dana S. Kilborne

Palm Beach, FL
561.659.5889
Email

President and CEO

Dana S. Kilborne is the President and CEO of Cypress Trust Company. She joined the Board of Directors in 2018. Ms. Kilborne began her thirty-year banking career in 1985 based in South Florida with companies including Southeast Bank and 1st United Bank before moving to Central Florida in 2000. In 2004, she founded Prime Bank and served as President and CEO and as a member of the Board of Directors. In 2010, Prime Bank merged with Florida Bank of Commerce where Ms. Kilborne also served as President and CEO and as a Director of the bank and holding company. In 2016 FBC merged with Sunshine Bank, a wholly owned subsidiary of Sunshine Bancorp, a NASDAQ traded company. She served as Co-¬President and Chief Commercial Officer of Sunshine Bank, and additionally served as a Director of the bank and holding company. Sunshine Bancorp successfully completed a sale to CenterState Bank in January 2018. Ms. Kilborne currently serves as a Director of NCMIC Insurance Company, Des Moines, Iowa and HealthFirst Inc., an Integrated Delivery Network, Melbourne, Florida. She is a former Director of the Federal Reserve Bank Board of Atlanta-Jacksonville Branch. Ms. Kilborne has served on the board of many community organizations including as immediate past Chair, Space Coast Economic Development Commission; past Chair, Holy Trinity Episcopal Academy, Florida Bankers’ Association and Florida School of Banking; and in South Florida as past Board Member, West Palm Beach Downtown Development Authority and Rosarian Academy. She earned a B.S. degree in Finance from and a Masters’ degree in Banking. Ms. Kilborne and her husband Briggs have three children and reside in West Palm Beach and Merritt Island, Florida.

cypress-trust-brian-skarbek

Brian Skarbek

Winter Haven, FL
941.807.4337
Email

Chief Investment Officer

Brian Skarbek, Chief Investment Officer, directs research and strategy for Cypress Trust Company’s team of portfolio managers, Mr. Skarbek has more than 20 years of industry experience and joined the company in 2003 as a Senior Investment Officer. Prior to his service at Cypress, he worked in various investment roles with Harris Bank, Barnett Bank, NationsBanc, and Bank of America, all in the state of Florida. He holds a B.S., degree in Business Administration with a Concentration in Finance from Florida Southern College in Lakeland, FL, and is a graduate of Southeastern Trust School. Mr. Skarbek has been a Board Member of The Boys & Girls Clubs of Sarasota Foundation for 15 years, was Chairman of the Board, and is the current Chair of the Investment Committee.

Patrick Dillon

Palm Beach, FL
561.820.2006
Email

Chief Financial and Operations Officer

Patrick Dillon, Chief Financial and Operations Officer, joined Cypress Trust Company in 2009. He was appointed to the Board of Directors in 2019 and serves as Secretary. Prior to these roles, and over the course of fifteen years, Patrick was responsible for financial reporting and financial planning & analysis at several multinational entities, including Grupo Grifols and Knowledge Integrated Marketing. He attended the Business School of the Universidad de Belgrano in Buenos Aires, Argentina, and received his B.A. in Physics with a concentration in Business from Florida Atlantic University.

LOCAL LEADERSHIP

Joseph C. Pauldine

Palm Beach, FL
561.820.2010
Email

Senior Vice President and Market Executive – Palm Beach

 

Joseph C. Pauldine, Market Executive – Palm Beach, joined Cypress Trust Company in 2004. Mr. Pauldine has served in various roles with the company including Vice President of Marketing and Sales, Channel Marketing Specialist, and as a member of the Management Team. Prior to joining Cypress Trust Company, he spent thirteen years in sales and marketing positions with MCI, now part of Verizon. Mr. Pauldine is a graduate of Old Dominion University, where he holds a B.S. degree in Marketing Management, with additional course work in Mathematics and Statistics. He is an avid golf historian and holds several championship titles at the Wanderers Club in Wellington, FL where he is a founding member.

Mary Lou Kalisz

Winter Haven, FL
863.295.9607
Email

Vice President and Senior Trust Officer – Winter Haven

 

Mary Louise Kalisz, Vice President & Senior Trust Officer joined Cypress Trust Company in 2007 as a Trust Administrator. Ms. Kalisz began her trust career in 1972. Since 1998 she has worked principally with high net worth individuals and families, doing so for fifteen years at SunTrust and for four years with Citrus and Chemical Bank. Ms. Kalisz is a graduate of both the Florida Trust School and the National Trust School. She is a member of the Polk County Estate Planning Council.

Cypress-Trust-Charles-Weir

W. Charles Weir

Vero Beach, FL
772.492.1919
Email

Senior Vice President & Senior Trust Officer – Vero Beach

 

W. Charles Weir, Senior Vice President and Senior Trust Officer, joined Cypress Trust Company in November 2005 from U.S. Trust Company in Vero Beach where he held the position of Senior Trust Officer. Mr. Weir entered the trust business in 1980 with First National Bank of Atlanta, GA, and then in 1981 moved to St. Louis Union Trust Company, St. Louis, MO which through a series of mergers and name changes evolved from St. Louis Union Trust, to Centerre Trust, to Boatmen’s Trust and then to Bank of America Private Bank. He departed Bank of America to join U.S. Trust Company in 2000. Mr. Weir graduated from The Citadel in 1973 and earned a JD from the University of South Carolina School of Law in 1979. He served on active duty as a commissioned officer in the U.S. Army from 1973 to 1976. Mr. Weir also has an MA in Theology and is active in his church.

Jane L. Goble

Naples, FL
239.449.6938
Email

Vice President and Trust Officer, Market Executive – Naples

 

Jane L. Goble, Vice President and Trust Officer, is a veteran trust officer of financial institutions in Southwest Florida including BMO Harris Private Bank (formerly Marshall & Ilsley Trust Company) in Naples. She is a graduate of Cannon Trust School and is a past President of the Estate Planning Council of Southwest Florida, past member of the Board of Trustees of the Southwest Florida Community Foundation and has been a volunteer with the Lee County Bar Association.

Beverly Flanagan

Jacksonville, FL
904.364.0301
Email

Senior Vice President and Market Executive – Jacksonville

 

Beverly Flanagan, CFP®, Senior Vice President and Market Executive, is a 30- year veteran of the trust and investment management business and has served the Jacksonville area wealth management market since 2005. Prior to Cypress, Ms. Flanagan worked in various Trust and Wealth Management roles for BBVA Compass, Fifth Third Bank, Jacksonville; and SunTrust Bank, Jacksonville, Daytona Beach, FL and Norfolk, VA. She began her career in 1986 with PaineWebber. Ms. Flanagan holds the Certified Financial Planner (CFP) designation. She earned a B.S. in Finance from University of Mary Washington, Fredericksburg, VA, and attended ABA Private Wealth Management School (Duke 2004 and Emory 2005). Ms. Flanagan serves on the Board for the Planned Giving Council of Northeast Florida, as Service Chair for the Ponte Vedra Beach Rotary Club, and as a member of the Jacksonville Women’s Network.

CORE VALUES

 

Cypress Trust Company holds certain fundamental beliefs that have formed the foundation of our relationships with our clients, our communities, and with each other. These are our Core Values. They are part of our corporate DNA, and they guide our attitude and our decision-making.

 

Integrity

Our commitment to honesty and transparency lies at the heart of who we are and what we believe. Professionalism, trust, respect, and a strict code of ethics are conveyed through all interactions with our clients, our associates, and our community.

 

Client-Centric

We put our clients’ interests ahead of our own. We take a highly personalized approach to define what is most important to them. We develop and deliver customized solutions to accomplish their goals now and for future generations.

 

Accountability

We strive to establish and meet clear expectations with our clients and with each other. We work together to resolve any issue fairly and responsibly.

 

Teamwork

Our clients benefit from the collective strengths, diversity, and unique perspectives of our team. We take a collaborative approach in working with our clients and other trusted advisors to create solutions that meet evolving needs.

 

Passion

Our passion for what we do is a powerful driver of superior achievement. We are passionate about supporting each other to be the best that we can be. We are committed to the pursuit of excellence.

 

Balance

We recognize that maintaining a healthy balance between what we do professionally and what we do for ourselves is important to our overall corporate success and personal well-being. We are fully supported in achieving that balance.

HISTORY

 

Cypress Trust Company was founded in Palm Beach, Florida in 1996 during a period of hyper bank merger and acquisition activity. During this historic period in U.S. financial history, many traditional trust departments were consolidated, talented trust officers displaced, account loads increased to unserviceable levels, trust fees raised, most small trust accounts eliminated, and many irrevocable trust accounts were forced into1-800 call centers located in other states.

 

Our founders felt that many of the trust and investment management clients that were negatively impacted by “merger mania” would value the opportunity to do business with a local firm that offered traditional fiduciary and investment management services provided by competent people they knew and respected. Cypress Trust Company received its charter to transact a general trust business from the Comptroller of Florida and Commissioner of Banking on October 23, 1996.

 

Cypress Trust Company’s philosophy of building customized trust and investment management solutions that meet clients’ unique needs and preferences and its commitment to providing highly personalized service differentiated it from its bigger competition. In addition to attracting clients from throughout Palm Beach County, the Company also attracted many clients from the Treasure Coast and Southwest Florida areas. To better serve those clients, a second Cypress Trust Company office was established in Vero Beach in 2005, followed by a third Cypress Trust Company office in Naples in 2006. To better serve its growing client base in Central Florida, a limited facility was established in Winter Haven in 2008, later becoming a full service Cypress Trust Company office in early 2013. In addition to its offices in Palm Beach, Vero Beach, Naples, Winter Haven and Jacksonville, Cypress Trust Company also has representation in Sarasota and The Villages.

 

Cypress Trust Company continues to consider offices in other special Florida communities where its philosophy of building customized trust and investment management solutions that meet clients’ unique needs and preferences and its commitment to providing highly personalized service would be valued.

WHY CYPRESS?

 

Focus

Cypress Trust Company exclusively provides trust administration and investment management services.

 

Customization

As a boutique trust and investment management firm, we have the ability to customize our services to fit the unique needs, preferences, and family dynamics of our clients. We do not have a “one size fits all” philosophy.

 

Personalized Service

We invest the time required to fully understand what our clients are trying to achieve, to develop unique solutions that meet their individual needs, and to meticulously execute the strategies that have been agreed upon.

 

Objectivity

All Cypress Trust Company associates are salaried employees – not commissioned. Our clients never have to question whether the solutions we are recommending are in their best interests or ours because of the way we may be getting paid. We are a corporate fiduciary, and as such, we are held to a higher standard. Our mandate is to always put our clients’ interests ahead of our own.

 

Collaboration

We feel that our clients are best served when we collaborate with their other trusted advisors during the solutions development process. Our goal is to help our clients have the best possible solutions for achieving their goals.

 

Pro-Active Communication

We recognize that our clients’ lives are not static. Things change. Some changes are planned and some come as a surprise. There are changes in careers, retirement goals, income needs, family status, health condition, residency, inheritances, gifting plans, and just changes in the way our clients feel about things. We believe in pro-actively communicating with our clients and their families on a regular basis so we can remain aware of their circumstances and help them adjust their strategies to meet the changes in their lives.

BOARD OF DIRECTORS

 

James T. Swann – Chairman

Padma Chigurupati – Vice Chairman

Tom Hermansen

Robert Goldstein

Michael Coleman

John Tranter

John Cole Oliver

Wayne Wolfson

Dana Kilborne

John Marino

SENIOR MANAGEMENT

Dana S. Kilborne

Palm Beach, FL
561.659.5889
Email

President and CEO

Dana S. Kilborne is the President and CEO of Cypress Trust Company. She joined the Board of Directors in 2018. Ms. Kilborne began her thirty-year banking career in 1985 based in South Florida with companies including Southeast Bank and 1st United Bank before moving to Central Florida in 2000. In 2004, she founded Prime Bank and served as President and CEO and as a member of the Board of Directors. In 2010, Prime Bank merged with Florida Bank of Commerce where Ms. Kilborne also served as President and CEO and as a Director of the bank and holding company. In 2016 FBC merged with Sunshine Bank, a wholly owned subsidiary of Sunshine Bancorp, a NASDAQ traded company. She served as Co-¬President and Chief Commercial Officer of Sunshine Bank, and additionally served as a Director of the bank and holding company. Sunshine Bancorp successfully completed a sale to CenterState Bank in January 2018. Ms. Kilborne currently serves as a Director of NCMIC Insurance Company, Des Moines, Iowa and HealthFirst Inc., an Integrated Delivery Network, Melbourne, Florida. She is a former Director of the Federal Reserve Bank Board of Atlanta-Jacksonville Branch. Ms. Kilborne has served on the board of many community organizations including as immediate past Chair, Space Coast Economic Development Commission; past Chair, Holy Trinity Episcopal Academy, Florida Bankers’ Association and Florida School of Banking; and in South Florida as past Board Member, West Palm Beach Downtown Development Authority and Rosarian Academy. She earned a B.S. degree in Finance from and a Masters’ degree in Banking. Ms. Kilborne and her husband Briggs have three children and reside in West Palm Beach and Merritt Island, Florida.

cypress-trust-brian-skarbek

Brian Skarbek

Winter Haven, FL
941.807.4337
Email

Chief Investment Officer

Brian Skarbek, Chief Investment Officer, directs research and strategy for Cypress Trust Company’s team of portfolio managers, Mr. Skarbek has more than 20 years of industry experience and joined the company in 2003 as a Senior Investment Officer. Prior to his service at Cypress, he worked in various investment roles with Harris Bank, Barnett Bank, NationsBanc, and Bank of America, all in the state of Florida. He holds a B.S., degree in Business Administration with a Concentration in Finance from Florida Southern College in Lakeland, FL, and is a graduate of Southeastern Trust School. Mr. Skarbek has been a Board Member of The Boys & Girls Clubs of Sarasota Foundation for 15 years, was Chairman of the Board, and is the current Chair of the Investment Committee.

Patrick Dillon

Palm Beach, FL
561.820.2006
Email

Chief Financial and Operations Officer

Patrick Dillon, Chief Financial and Operations Officer, joined Cypress Trust Company in 2009. He was appointed to the Board of Directors in 2019 and serves as Secretary. Prior to these roles, and over the course of fifteen years, Patrick was responsible for financial reporting and financial planning & analysis at several multinational entities, including Grupo Grifols and Knowledge Integrated Marketing. He attended the Business School of the Universidad de Belgrano in Buenos Aires, Argentina, and received his B.A. in Physics with a concentration in Business from Florida Atlantic University.

LOCAL LEADERSHIP

Joseph C. Pauldine

Palm Beach, FL
561.820.2010
Email

Senior Vice President and Market Executive – Palm Beach

 

Joseph C. Pauldine, Market Executive – Palm Beach, joined Cypress Trust Company in 2004. Mr. Pauldine has served in various roles with the company including Vice President of Marketing and Sales, Channel Marketing Specialist, and as a member of the Management Team. Prior to joining Cypress Trust Company, he spent thirteen years in sales and marketing positions with MCI, now part of Verizon. Mr. Pauldine is a graduate of Old Dominion University, where he holds a B.S. degree in Marketing Management, with additional course work in Mathematics and Statistics. He is an avid golf historian and holds several championship titles at the Wanderers Club in Wellington, FL where he is a founding member.

Mary Lou Kalisz

Winter Haven, FL
863.295.9607
Email

Vice President and Senior Trust Officer – Winter Haven

 

Mary Louise Kalisz, Vice President & Senior Trust Officer joined Cypress Trust Company in 2007 as a Trust Administrator. Ms. Kalisz began her trust career in 1972. Since 1998 she has worked principally with high net worth individuals and families, doing so for fifteen years at SunTrust and for four years with Citrus and Chemical Bank. Ms. Kalisz is a graduate of both the Florida Trust School and the National Trust School. She is a member of the Polk County Estate Planning Council.

Cypress-Trust-Charles-Weir

W. Charles Weir

Vero Beach, FL
772.492.1919
Email

Senior Vice President & Senior Trust Officer – Vero Beach

 

W. Charles Weir, Senior Vice President and Senior Trust Officer, joined Cypress Trust Company in November 2005 from U.S. Trust Company in Vero Beach where he held the position of Senior Trust Officer. Mr. Weir entered the trust business in 1980 with First National Bank of Atlanta, GA, and then in 1981 moved to St. Louis Union Trust Company, St. Louis, MO which through a series of mergers and name changes evolved from St. Louis Union Trust, to Centerre Trust, to Boatmen’s Trust and then to Bank of America Private Bank. He departed Bank of America to join U.S. Trust Company in 2000. Mr. Weir graduated from The Citadel in 1973 and earned a JD from the University of South Carolina School of Law in 1979. He served on active duty as a commissioned officer in the U.S. Army from 1973 to 1976. Mr. Weir also has an MA in Theology and is active in his church.

Jane L. Goble

Naples, FL
239.449.6938
Email

Vice President and Trust Officer, Market Executive – Naples

Jane L. Goble, Vice President and Trust Officer, is a veteran trust officer of financial institutions in Southwest Florida including BMO Harris Private Bank (formerly Marshall & Ilsley Trust Company) in Naples. She is a graduate of Cannon Trust School and is a past President of the Estate Planning Council of Southwest Florida, past member of the Board of Trustees of the Southwest Florida Community Foundation and has been a volunteer with the Lee County Bar Association.

Beverly Flanagan

Jacksonville, FL
904.364.0301
Email

Senior Vice President and Market Executive – Jacksonville

 

Beverly Flanagan, CFP®, Senior Vice President and Market Executive, is a 30- year veteran of the trust and investment management business and has served the Jacksonville area wealth management market since 2005. Prior to Cypress, Ms. Flanagan worked in various Trust and Wealth Management roles for BBVA Compass, Fifth Third Bank, Jacksonville; and SunTrust Bank, Jacksonville, Daytona Beach, FL and Norfolk, VA. She began her career in 1986 with PaineWebber. Ms. Flanagan holds the Certified Financial Planner (CFP) designation. She earned a B.S. in Finance from University of Mary Washington, Fredericksburg, VA, and attended ABA Private Wealth Management School (Duke 2004 and Emory 2005). Ms. Flanagan serves on the Board for the Planned Giving Council of Northeast Florida, as Service Chair for the Ponte Vedra Beach Rotary Club, and as a member of the Jacksonville Women’s Network.

CORE VALUES

 

Cypress Trust Company holds certain fundamental beliefs that have formed the foundation of our relationships with our clients, our communities, and with each other. These are our Core Values. They are part of our corporate DNA, and they guide our attitude and our decision-making.

 

Integrity

Our commitment to honesty and transparency lies at the heart of who we are and what we believe. Professionalism, trust, respect, and a strict code of ethics are conveyed through all interactions with our clients, our associates, and our community.

 

Client-Centric

We put our clients’ interests ahead of our own. We take a highly personalized approach to define what is most important to them. We develop and deliver customized solutions to accomplish their goals now and for future generations.

 

Accountability

We strive to establish and meet clear expectations with our clients and with each other. We work together to resolve any issue fairly and responsibly.

 

Teamwork

Our clients benefit from the collective strengths, diversity, and unique perspectives of our team. We take a collaborative approach in working with our clients and other trusted advisors to create solutions that meet evolving needs.

 

Passion

Our passion for what we do is a powerful driver of superior achievement. We are passionate about supporting each other to be the best that we can be. We are committed to the pursuit of excellence.

 

Balance

We recognize that maintaining a healthy balance between what we do professionally and what we do for ourselves is important to our overall corporate success and personal well-being. We are fully supported in achieving that balance.

HISTORY

 

Cypress Trust Company was founded in Palm Beach, Florida in 1996 during a period of hyper bank merger and acquisition activity. During this historic period in U.S. financial history, many traditional trust departments were consolidated, talented trust officers displaced, account loads increased to unserviceable levels, trust fees raised, most small trust accounts eliminated, and many irrevocable trust accounts were forced into1-800 call centers located in other states.

 

Our founders felt that many of the trust and investment management clients that were negatively impacted by “merger mania” would value the opportunity to do business with a local firm that offered traditional fiduciary and investment management services provided by competent people they knew and respected. Cypress Trust Company received its charter to transact a general trust business from the Comptroller of Florida and Commissioner of Banking on October 23, 1996.

 

Cypress Trust Company’s philosophy of building customized trust and investment management solutions that meet clients’ unique needs and preferences and its commitment to providing highly personalized service differentiated it from its bigger competition. In addition to attracting clients from throughout Palm Beach County, the Company also attracted many clients from the Treasure Coast and Southwest Florida areas. To better serve those clients, a second Cypress Trust Company office was established in Vero Beach in 2005, followed by a third Cypress Trust Company office in Naples in 2006. To better serve its growing client base in Central Florida, a limited facility was established in Winter Haven in 2008, later becoming a full service Cypress Trust Company office in early 2013. In addition to its offices in Palm Beach, Vero Beach, Naples, Winter Haven and Jacksonville, Cypress Trust Company also has representation in Sarasota and The Villages.

 

Cypress Trust Company continues to consider offices in other special Florida communities where its philosophy of building customized trust and investment management solutions that meet clients’ unique needs and preferences and its commitment to providing highly personalized service would be valued.

WHY CYPRESS?

 

Focus

Cypress Trust Company exclusively provides trust administration and investment management services.

 

Customization

As a boutique trust and investment management firm, we have the ability to customize our services to fit the unique needs, preferences, and family dynamics of our clients. We do not have a “one size fits all” philosophy.

 

Personalized Service

We invest the time required to fully understand what our clients are trying to achieve, to develop unique solutions that meet their individual needs, and to meticulously execute the strategies that have been agreed upon.

 

Objectivity

All Cypress Trust Company associates are salaried employees – not commissioned. Our clients never have to question whether the solutions we are recommending are in their best interests or ours because of the way we may be getting paid. We are a corporate fiduciary, and as such, we are held to a higher standard. Our mandate is to always put our clients’ interests ahead of our own.

 

Collaboration

We feel that our clients are best served when we collaborate with their other trusted advisors during the solutions development process. Our goal is to help our clients have the best possible solutions for achieving their goals.

 

Pro-Active Communication

We recognize that our clients’ lives are not static. Things change. Some changes are planned and some come as a surprise. There are changes in careers, retirement goals, income needs, family status, health condition, residency, inheritances, gifting plans, and just changes in the way our clients feel about things. We believe in pro-actively communicating with our clients and their families on a regular basis so we can remain aware of their circumstances and help them adjust their strategies to meet the changes in their lives.

BOARD OF DIRECTORS

 

James T. Swann – Chairman

Padma Chigurupati – Vice Chairman

Tom Hermansen

Robert Goldstein

Michael Coleman

John Tranter

John Cole Oliver

Wayne Wolfson

Dana Kilborne

John Marino

SENIOR MANAGEMENT

Dana S. Kilborne

Palm Beach, FL
561.659.5889
Email

President and CEO

Dana S. Kilborne is the President and CEO of Cypress Trust Company. She joined the Board of Directors in 2018. Ms. Kilborne began her thirty-year banking career in 1985 based in South Florida with companies including Southeast Bank and 1st United Bank before moving to Central Florida in 2000. In 2004, she founded Prime Bank and served as President and CEO and as a member of the Board of Directors. In 2010, Prime Bank merged with Florida Bank of Commerce where Ms. Kilborne also served as President and CEO and as a Director of the bank and holding company. In 2016 FBC merged with Sunshine Bank, a wholly owned subsidiary of Sunshine Bancorp, a NASDAQ traded company. She served as Co-¬President and Chief Commercial Officer of Sunshine Bank, and additionally served as a Director of the bank and holding company. Sunshine Bancorp successfully completed a sale to CenterState Bank in January 2018. Ms. Kilborne currently serves as a Director of NCMIC Insurance Company, Des Moines, Iowa and HealthFirst Inc., an Integrated Delivery Network, Melbourne, Florida. She is a former Director of the Federal Reserve Bank Board of Atlanta-Jacksonville Branch. Ms. Kilborne has served on the board of many community organizations including as immediate past Chair, Space Coast Economic Development Commission; past Chair, Holy Trinity Episcopal Academy, Florida Bankers’ Association and Florida School of Banking; and in South Florida as past Board Member, West Palm Beach Downtown Development Authority and Rosarian Academy. She earned a B.S. degree in Finance and a Masters’ degree in Banking. Ms. Kilborne and her husband Briggs have three children and reside in West Palm Beach and Merritt Island, Florida.

cypress-trust-brian-skarbek

Brian Skarbek

Winter Haven, FL
941.807.4337
Email

Chief Investment Officer

 

Brian Skarbek, Chief Investment Officer, directs research and strategy for Cypress Trust Company’s team of portfolio managers, Mr. Skarbek has more than 20 years of industry experience and joined the company in 2003 as a Senior Investment Officer. Prior to his service at Cypress, he worked in various investment roles with Harris Bank, Barnett Bank, NationsBanc, and Bank of America, all in the state of Florida. He holds a B.S., degree in Business Administration with a Concentration in Finance from Florida Southern College in Lakeland, FL, and is a graduate of Southeastern Trust School. Mr. Skarbek has been a Board Member of The Boys & Girls Clubs of Sarasota Foundation for 15 years, was Chairman of the Board, and is the current Chair of the Investment Committee.

Patrick Dillon

Palm Beach, FL
561.820.2006
Email

Chief Financial and Operations Officer

 

Patrick Dillon, Chief Financial and Operations Officer, joined Cypress Trust Company in 2009. He was appointed to the Board of Directors in 2019 and serves as Secretary. Prior to these roles, and over the course of fifteen years, Patrick was responsible for financial reporting and financial planning & analysis at several multinational entities, including Grupo Grifols and Knowledge Integrated Marketing. He attended the Business School of the Universidad de Belgrano in Buenos Aires, Argentina, and received his B.A. in Physics with a concentration in Business from Florida Atlantic University.

LOCAL LEADERSHIP

Joseph C. Pauldine

Palm Beach, FL
561.820.2010
Email

Senior Vice President and Market Executive – Palm Beach

 

Joseph C. Pauldine, Market Executive – Palm Beach, joined Cypress Trust Company in 2004. Mr. Pauldine has served in various roles with the company including Vice President of Marketing and Sales, Channel Marketing Specialist, and as a member of the Management Team. Prior to joining Cypress Trust Company, he spent thirteen years in sales and marketing positions with MCI, now part of Verizon. Mr. Pauldine is a graduate of Old Dominion University, where he holds a B.S. degree in Marketing Management, with additional course work in Mathematics and Statistics. He is an avid golf historian and holds several championship titles at the Wanderers Club in Wellington, FL where he is a founding member.

Mary Lou Kalisz

Winter Haven, FL
863.295.9607
Email

Vice President and Senior Trust Officer – Winter Haven

 

Mary Louise Kalisz, Vice President & Senior Trust Officer joined Cypress Trust Company in 2007 as a Trust Administrator. Ms. Kalisz began her trust career in 1972. Since 1998 she has worked principally with high net worth individuals and families, doing so for fifteen years at SunTrust and for four years with Citrus and Chemical Bank. Ms. Kalisz is a graduate of both the Florida Trust School and the National Trust School. She is a member of the Polk County Estate Planning Council.

Cypress-Trust-Charles-Weir

W. Charles Weir

Vero Beach, FL
772.492.1919
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Senior Vice President & Senior Trust Officer – Vero Beach

 

W. Charles Weir, Senior Vice President and Senior Trust Officer, joined Cypress Trust Company in November 2005 from U.S. Trust Company in Vero Beach where he held the position of Senior Trust Officer. Mr. Weir entered the trust business in 1980 with First National Bank of Atlanta, GA, and then in 1981 moved to St. Louis Union Trust Company, St. Louis, MO which through a series of mergers and name changes evolved from St. Louis Union Trust, to Centerre Trust, to Boatmen’s Trust and then to Bank of America Private Bank. He departed Bank of America to join U.S. Trust Company in 2000. Mr. Weir graduated from The Citadel in 1973 and earned a JD from the University of South Carolina School of Law in 1979. He served on active duty as a commissioned officer in the U.S. Army from 1973 to 1976. Mr. Weir also has an MA in Theology and is active in his church.

Jane L. Goble

Naples, FL
239.449.6938
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Vice President and Trust Officer, Market Executive – Naples

 

Jane L. Goble, Vice President and Trust Officer, is a veteran trust officer of financial institutions in Southwest Florida including BMO Harris Private Bank (formerly Marshall & Ilsley Trust Company) in Naples. She is a graduate of Cannon Trust School and is a past President of the Estate Planning Council of Southwest Florida, past member of the Board of Trustees of the Southwest Florida Community Foundation and has been a volunteer with the Lee County Bar Association.

Beverly Flanagan

Jacksonville, FL
904.364.0301
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Senior Vice President and Market Executive – Jacksonville

 

Beverly Flanagan, CFP®, Senior Vice President and Market Executive, is a 30- year veteran of the trust and investment management business and has served the Jacksonville area wealth management market since 2005. Prior to Cypress, Ms. Flanagan worked in various Trust and Wealth Management roles for BBVA Compass, Fifth Third Bank, Jacksonville; and SunTrust Bank, Jacksonville, Daytona Beach, FL and Norfolk, VA. She began her career in 1986 with PaineWebber. Ms. Flanagan holds the Certified Financial Planner (CFP) designation. She earned a B.S. in Finance from University of Mary Washington, Fredericksburg, VA, and attended ABA Private Wealth Management School (Duke 2004 and Emory 2005). Ms. Flanagan serves on the Board for the Planned Giving Council of Northeast Florida, as Service Chair for the Ponte Vedra Beach Rotary Club, and as a member of the Jacksonville Women’s Network.