Tampa Bay Banking Powerhouse Joins Caldwell Trust Company

March 30, 2022 – Sarasota

Rita Lowman, a banking powerhouse in the Tampa Bay area for over four decades, has joined the board of directors of regionally based Caldwell Trust Company, the leading wealth management company in Venice with a significant presence in Sarasota and the central Gulf Coast area. In announcing Lowman’s appointment, R. G. “Kelly” Caldwell Jr., CEO/president, praised Lowman’s all-around record of accomplishments, which encompass business sectors as well as community causes. “Rita’s experience with banking issues, combined with her financial expertise and passion for serving nonprofit institutions, makes her an ideal fit and very welcome addition to our board,” he said. 

Lowman began her banking career 45 years ago as state administration executive for NationsBank/Bank of America and has blazed trails ever since–especially for women–up to her most recent position as president of Pilot Bank.Having managed over 20 acquisitions during her career including the Nations Bank-Barnett Bank merger in 1997, she brings valuable experience in the areas of mergers and acquisitions, branding and community involvement. 

Lowman has been honored multiple times with a mix of awards that cross boundaries between business and volunteer sectors. In 2017 she was elected as only the third woman in the 130-year history of the Florida Bankers Association to serve as its Chair. As a member of the FBA’s executive board of directors, she contributed her skills to its government relations council, where she served as Chair. She provided similar services as past chair of the American Bankers Association’s executive board of directors and its government relations council. 

Lowman also chaired the Florida School of Banking at the University of Florida, American Cancer Society Cattle Baron’s Ball, American Heart Association Go Red, American Cancer Society Tampa Bay Council and the Centre Club. 

Besides Caldwell Trust Company, she is a current board member of Southeastern U.S. American Cancer Society and Tampa Bay Bowl Association. She previously served on executive boards of directors of the Tampa Bay Chamber of Commerce and the St. Petersburg Chamber of Commerce 

Lowman’s community service has seen her named as 2020-2022 chair of the Tampa Bay Bowl and serving on its board of directors from 2013 through present day. 

In 2022 she was honored as Gracepoint’s Guy King Mental Health Champion. She was also the recipient of the 2021 Dottie Berger MacKinnon Woman of Influence Award and the 2019 Outstanding Leader of the Year as president of Pilot Bank, both presented by the Tampa Bay Chamber of Commerce.  The Girl Scouts of America honored her in 2019 with its Women of Distinction award. Previously, in 2018 she was named as Tampa Bay Business Journal’s Business Woman of the Year. In 2018 and 2019 the Tampa Bay Business Journal named Lowman to its prestigious list of Power 100. In addition, her book From the Farm to the Board Room was selected among the top Business Books of 2017 by Richter Publishing.

Rita and her husband Gary reside in St Petersburg and can often be found at their cattle and timber farm HooperWill Farm in Waverly Hall, Georgia, named after their two sons.