Spotlight On: April Grajales, Tampa Bay Market President, Regions Bank

Key points:

• • Regions is investing in both digital banking and new branches across Tampa Bay.
• • Talent development and financial education remain key priorities.
• • Tampa’s growth continues to create opportunities for businesses, consumers, and banks.

June 2026 — Invest: spoke with April Grajales, Tampa Bay market president and commercial banking executive at Regions Bank, about the bank’s continued growth in Tampa Bay, branch modernization efforts, talent development, and the importance of relationship banking in an increasingly digital environment. “We think people still want to go into a location, speak with a banker, and we want to invest in both sides of that equation,” Grajales said.

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What changes across Tampa Bay’s economic and banking landscape over the past two years have had the biggest impact on Regions Bank?

As a bank, we had another strong year in 2025. Regions achieved about $2.1 billion in earnings, with a 7% growth rate in adjusted earnings year over year. That momentum has continued into 2026. We delivered another strong first quarter, with over $539 million in earnings, revenue up 5%, and pre-tax pre-provision income up more than 8% compared to the first quarter of last year.

Those results reflect how we have leaned into our clients, their trust, and the relationships we have built with them. Strategic priorities in Tampa continue to center on personalized service and deep community engagement. Our approach to service is a key differentiator as well. We call it Regions360 – and that means truly taking a 360-degree view of the needs of the client and their own, unique goals. We don’t operate in silos. Rather, leaders from our Consumer Banking group, our Commercial and Corporate bankers, and our Wealth Management team collaborate to identify the full range of areas where we can add value to help the client build, protect and preserve their finances.

Which recent developments have been especially meaningful for Regions Bank’s Tampa market operations?

We have a new modernized downtown Tampa branch that illustrates our investment in local service delivery and our continued commitment to the community.

Over the next five years, we are also planning to build 135 to 150 branches across our footprint, and Florida is a priority market for that expansion. In some cases, we will reposition older facilities into newer and more convenient locations. Regions has been serving Tampa Bay for 102 years! We are proud to continue investing in the community we also call home.

These enhancements are combined with ongoing digital banking improvements like the mobile app and online tools. We see digital capability and relationship banking as complementary, not competing priorities. Through our mobile app, clients can easily conduct day-to-day transactions, such as depositing checks or managing accounts, from the palm of their hand. We think people still want to go into a location, speak with a banker, and we want to invest in both sides of that equation.

In fact, Regions was just ranked No. 1 among regional banks in the JD Power 2026 U.S. Online Banking Satisfaction StudySM, marking the sixth time in the past seven years Regions has earned the top designation. Additionally, Regions ranked No. 2 among regional banks in the JD Power 2026 U.S. Banking Mobile App Satisfaction StudySM, improving by four spots from the prior year. Both rankings underscore the bank’s consistent focus on delivering high-quality, intuitive digital experiences for customers.

What makes Tampa Bay particularly attractive today from a banking and business standpoint?

Tampa continues to rank highly as a destination for new graduates looking for where they want to live and work. I am involved with both the Tampa Bay Partnership and the Tampa Bay Economic Development Council, and we continue working to recruit new businesses to the region. The pipeline remains very healthy.Corporations are also continuing to relocate headquarters to Tampa Bay and view the market as attractive for business growth.

This is a priority market for Regions, and that means working to build on our growth not only in terms of banking consumer households – but also the small businesses and larger corporations that are key to our vibrant economy. Regions Bank is an award-winning SBA lender, including recognition as Top SBA 504 Lender in the North Florida District, and Bronze award winner as a top 7(a) lender in the South Florida District.

How are you approaching talent recruitment and workforce development in Tampa Bay?

Recruiting talent and supporting our workforce is probably the No. 1 responsibility I have as a leader of the bank. Regions has been recognized by Gallup as an exceptional workplace, and that is something we really value.

We are retraining and upskilling many of our consumer banking colleagues to expand their ability to serve small-business customers. That creates opportunities for our workforce while also helping us better support business owners through a more consultative approach.

On the recruiting side, we continue investing heavily in revenue-generating positions, including commercial banking, corporate banking, and private wealth banking. That investment supports our continued momentum in Tampa Bay and throughout Florida. Our bankers reflect the diversity of the community we serve, which strengthens our connection to clients. By engaging in the community and building brand loyalty, we also foster employee retention, stability, and long-term growth. Our goal is to provide big-bank capability with highly localized delivery.

What trends are you watching most closely in banking and financial services today?

What we are finding across the industry is that clients are looking for trusted guidance. They want more one-on-one, personalized advice to help them achieve their financial goals. We are focused on providing solutions that fit those needs. That applies to both individuals and businesses. At the same time, financial education has become increasingly critical. We continue to invest in how we deploy financial education, here and throughout the Regions’ footprint. Another major focus area is fraud risk. Fraud continues to be one of the biggest areas of focus for the industry. We are investing heavily in educating customers about tools and resources that can help protect them and prevent threats to their financial position.

We host seminars both virtually and in person, and we make fraud awareness part of every customer conversation. We want customers to understand the ways fraudsters can target them and how they can better protect themselves.

What are some of the biggest challenges facing businesses and consumers in Tampa Bay?

Many of the conversations we are having with businesses center around growth. Companies want to expand employee counts, move into new markets, or support larger customers, and they need capital to support those initiatives.

Those growth opportunities create demand for banking solutions, and we work closely with clients to help them navigate those next stages of growth.

For consumers, it is access to financial education. One of the key initiatives we have deployed is Regions Greenprint. This is a one-on-one financial journey where individuals can sit with an advisor in one of our branches and walk through their financial goals and objectives. You do not have to be a Regions client to participate, and there is no cost. We tailor a financial plan to that individual’s needs and help map out practical next steps.

We also offer Regions Next Step, which is a financial education platform available online. Again, you do not have to be a client to access it. Through this platform, individuals can find podcasts, modules, and educational resources covering topics such as applying for a mortgage, planning for retirement, saving for a down payment, and general budgeting strategies. The aim is to provide accessible tools that help move people closer to achieving their personal financial goals.

How is Regions Bank deepening its community engagement across Tampa Bay?

Financial wellness and financial education are two pillars of our community engagement efforts. In Tampa Bay, we have about 600 employees and 58 branches, and last year our team delivered 3,834 volunteer hours.

Most of those volunteer hours focused on financial education, financial wellness, nonprofit engagement, and community service. We are focused on showing up in our communities and providing education and literacy resources wherever we can. Our bankers show up. We conduct Reality Checks, working with students from elementary school through high school to help them understand income, expenses, credit, and financial decision-making. For us, financial inclusion means meeting people where they are and equipping them with practical knowledge.

The Regions Foundation, a nonprofit funded primarily by Regions Bank, also supports organizations throughout Tampa Bay through grants focused on workforce development and financial literacy. Two organizations that I am personally very excited about are Tampa Bay Wave and Academy Prep of Tampa. With Academy Prep, there’s a particularly long-lasting connection between the school and the bank; we are able to provide financial education and literacy resources to both students and teachers. I am also proud of our work helping emerging small businesses through our work with The OC Emporium and Orenda Collective. As a past University of South Florida Alumni Association Chair, I continue to work with students towards workforce development through the USF Foundation and beyond.

Looking ahead, what are your key goals and priorities for Regions Bank in Tampa?

We want to continue what we have already built over the next three to five years. That includes maintaining a strong balance sheet so we can continue investing in technology, community engagement, and customer service.

Tampa Bay remains a strategic market for Regions in terms of both expansion and growth, and we will continue investing in the region. In all corners of this unique area, you will find a strong sense of pride, a sense of community, and a spirit of entrepreneurship. We are here as trusted neighbors who know this market well because this is our home, too.

And we see growing opportunities to put our local experience to work not only for longtime customers – but also for those new to the area or looking to build new business growth or personal financial success. Our strength lies in personalized service and deep market engagement. Those are our guiding principles as we work to help make life better for the people and communities we serve.

Want more? Read the Invest: Tampa Bay report.