Focusing on affordable housing and tax credit investments across Mercantile’s footprint

Mercantile Bank (“Mercantile”) recently announced the creation of a new wholly owned subsidiary, Mercantile Community Partners, that will expand its ability to provide financing solutions for community development projects. Our three new team members bring expertise in Low-Income Housing and Historic Tax Credit equity financing, which will allow Mercantile to be a “one-stop-shop” for lending and tax credit investment.

“We are excited to establish Mercantile Community Partners as a way to further enrich the communities in which we serve. This unique product offering will provide financial solutions needed to support the growing need for affordable housing,” said Ray Reitsma, president. “Our growth continues to be people focused and we’re excited to announce the hiring of an experienced team to run Mercantile Community Partners”.

Emily Cauzillo will join Mercantile Bank as vice president and director of Mercantile Community Partners. Emily has extensive experience structuring and underwriting complex real estate projects utilizing various incentives. With over 10 years of commercial banking experience, Emily has originated and managed over $450 million of investment in tax credits. Emily will work closely with development partners to find the best solutions possible for their projects. With a deep seeded passion for historic preservation and affordable housing, she currently serves as a board member of the Michigan Historic Preservation Network (MHPN) and as a finance committee member of the Dwelling Place.

“I am excited to join the Mercantile team and assist in crafting financing solutions that will empower our communities and its members. Our ability to serve as a “one-stop-shop” for debt and equity will maximize the direct impact to our communities and bring much needed efficiencies to the market,” said Emily Cauzillo.

Peter Scudder will join Mercantile Bank as vice president, financial reporting manager. Peter is a Certified Public Accountant with over a decade of experience working in both public accounting and private practice. Peter served in the financial institutions practice of a national accounting firm, and most recently with a national real estate company where he led the launch of a tax credit syndication platform. Peter will be responsible for the integration of Mercantile Community Partners’ financial reporting structure and operations within the bank.

Zac Fillmore will join Mercantile Bank as a credit analyst supporting the growth of Mercantile Community Partners. Zac is a Grand Valley State University graduate with an economics and business management degree.

For more information, contact Mercantile Bank Chief Financial Officer Charles Christmas at cchristmas@mercbank.com. Mercantile Bank is committed to serving the needs of its communities and sees Mercantile Community Partners as an important piece of this ongoing work.

About Mercantile Bank
Mercantile Bank is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Mercantile Bank Corporation. Mercantile Bank provides banking services to businesses, individuals, and governmental units, and differentiates itself on the basis of service quality and the expertise of its banking staff. Mercantile Bank has assets of approximately $5 billion and operates 45 banking offices. For more information about Mercantile Bank, visit www.mercbank.com, follow us on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter @MercBank and on LinkedIn @merc-bank.