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Bob Pincus believes that a banker should be like the boy next door – someone who knows you as well as your business. For 30 years the Hyattsville-born-and-bred banker was exactly that.
Pincus stayed close to home for his education at University of Maryland, went to American University for an MBA, then in 1971 went to work for DC National Bank.
In 1982 Pincus was named president and CEO of the bank. During his tenure, its assets grew from $180 million to $1.2 billion. Then DC National was swallowed up by Sovran Bank; it would eventually become part of NationsBank.
Many of Pincus's customers weren't happy with an institution that kept changing hands. When Pincus left to take over Franklin National Bank in 1991, many customers followed. "I always wanted to enhance the quality of life where I live and work," he says, "to help ensure financial success of a business and to enhance economic development."
As is happened, 1991 was not a banner year for local banks. Washington real estate was in a slump. "This is when you build relationships," Pincus says. "I saw it as opportunity to keep our clients going."
His persistence paid off – Pincus grew Franklin National's assets from $45 million to $900 million, and the bank was named the area's "outstanding lender" by the Small Business Administration.
When BB&T bought Franklin National in 1999, Pincus stayed on to run the Washington operation until 2002. When he retired from BB&T, the local bank's assets topped $2.5 billion. He remains chair of the board of BB&T DC Metro region.
Along the way, Pincus helped create two major sports events to raise funds for inner-city kids. The annual summer tennis classic attracts top pros and funds programs to teach tennis to kids. A winter basketball tournament that pits top local college teams against some of the nation's best has raised more than $7 million for the Children's Charities Foundation.
Pincus retired to spend more time with his young son, but he isn't out to pasture. A member of the Federal City Council and an adviser to both the Robert H. Smith School of Business at the University of Maryland and the Kogod School of Business at American University, he is also chair of MMP Milestone Capital, a new leveraged buyout fund.
Each time he starts something new, Pincus asks himself, "Can I make a difference? Am I having fun?" If he can say yes, he jumps at the chance.
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