A year ago, Bank of George's President and Chief Executive Diane Fearon and Chairman Edward Nigro decided to create the financial institution.

Part of the reason behind the name is its recognition. But more importantly, Nigro said, is the man whose face adorns the $1 bill.

There's no "First" in the name, nor is there "Nevada," "Federal," "State" or "Savings." The founders had a wild idea: Name the bank after a great American, and practice what he preached.

"(It's) what he stood for and what we want to stand for. He had an amazing dedication to community. He led the community through tough times, and he led the community through good times," Nigro said.

Directly beneath the Bank of George logo is noted: Founded 2007.

"That only means something 20 years from now," he said. The bank decided not to put some slogan beneath the name, instead opting to show its commitment to its establishment.

"We're going to be here a long time with you," he said of its message to the bank's future clientele.

BrandEquity International President and Chief Executive Ted Selame said community banks need to have a name that stands out, and if Bank of George plays its cards right, the name might just work.

"It could work," Selame said. "(But) it's a little cute."

The company, based in Newton, Mass., has renamed a couple dozen banks and credit unions in its region. One example is its rebranding of Boston Bank of Commerce to OneUnited Bank, a black-owned bank targeting minority customers.

The company also came up with the Firedog brand for Circuit City technicians.

A bank's name and brand name is important because of the competition it faces from national banks, such as Bank of America or Washington Mutual.

"You don't want a name to sound too big," Selame said. "The name is really important. You want to sound friendly."

And friendly is the name of the game at Bank of George.

The bank wants its customers to feel comfortable, whether they are making a transaction with a teller, sitting down with a loan officer or stopping by Fearon's or Nigro's offices.

"We share a spirit of George," Fearon said. "It's a sense of pride. The delivery method is what makes it stand apart."

The bank prides itself on its leaders, all of whom live in Las Vegas and are actively engaged in the community.

"The board of directors are very committed to the community," he said. "We wanted to get close to Las Vegas again, get down to the roots."

Most are second- and third-generation Las Vegans, with an average age of 43, and executives in their career fields.

Community banks have an advantage over larger, institutionalized banks, they believe.

Thus far, the bank has raised $21 million in capital and boasts 188 shareholders, Nigro said.

"I didn't want people retiring," he said. Instead, he sought out people who could lead the bank for the next 20 years.

"(Community banks) have a more intimate knowledge of their borrowers," he said. "We don't have to rely on a national statistic to know if we want to loan to a certain business."

Community banks are able to be responsive to the local market, Fearon added. "We got through the thick and thin (with the market) on a more consistent basis than national institutions."

On Oct. 3, the bank's loan committee met for the first time, deciding in favor of granting a business loan.

"He needed money to continue to be successful," Nigro said. "We know there's a good common ground."

The bank appears like any other bank: There are tellers, loan officers, and experienced bankers. But on one desk stands a figure of George Washington.

Nigro and Fearon say they'd like to stand out from the crowd.

Fearon promises her employees will not be wearing the powdered wigs of Washington's time.

"You will find out in the long run, we're all George," Nigro said. "Yeah, he was George Washington, but now he's all of us. If our philosophy works, we'll be very successful."

The bank, located at 9115 W. Russell Road, had a soft opening in early September and plans a grand opening Nov. 6. It expects to open a second branch in Henderson in a year's time.

In other banking news:

• Silver State Bank opened a full-service branch at 855 Seven Hills Drive in Henderson. This is the eleventh Nevada location for the Henderson-based bank, and the bank plans on opening two more before this year ends. Since the bank opened 10 years ago, it has grown from five employees to 250. Silver State Bank is a wholly owned subsidiary of Silver State Bancorp.

• The California and Nevada Credit Union Leagues redesigned the credit union search Web site that assists banking consumers in finding a credit union to join in 28 states. At the Web site, findacreditunion.com, consumers enter a few identifiers, such as location, employer or occupation, ethnicity, religion or organizations they participate in. The site then presents a list of credit unions whose membership they qualify for.