End of an era as The Villages’ hometown bank officially changes ownership

It will be the end of an era as The Villages’ hometown bank officially changes ownership.

Beginning Monday, Citizens First Bank will officially be Seacoast Bank.

The Morse family sold off Citizens First Bank for $829 million.

Seacoast officials indicated that the future growth of The Villages, combined with Citizens First Bank’s stellar reputation, made it the perfect fit. Seacoast, which dates back to 1926 in Stuart and survived the hardscrabble days of the Depression, found the people at Citizens First Bank shared the same set of values.

The history of Citizens First Bank dates back more than three decades, when founder Harold Schwartz was determined to establish a hometown feeling and secure the fledgling development’s financial future.

The bank flourished in the hands of his son, H. Gary Morse, and then Morse’s children, Mark, Tracy and Jennifer.

Lindsey Blaise, daughter of Tracy Morse, served for seven years as the president and CEO of the bank before stepping down in 2024. Blaise cited a desire to spend more time with her three young children. She had been named the bank’s president in 2017.