Veteran banker and longtime Thoroughbred owner/breeder, Jerry Campbell is the chair/CEO of the bank holding company, New South Bancorp, Inc. in Tampa and was founder/has served as chairman of the board of HomeBancorp, Inc., and the chairman of the board at Republic Bancorp since 1986.
Campbell has been breeding and racing Thoroughbred horses for more than 55 years. He currently owns 25 Thoroughbreds, including race horses, mares and foals. All of the breeding is in Florida and his trainer is Kathleen O’Connell.
Among the horses he races are stakes-winners Crash Pad, Diamond Gate, Mont Ridge, Post It, Proud Ridge, Sea Legs, Terko Bates, Axe of Courage, I Match Too, This Cats on Fire, Wave Pool, Charlies Fire, and Valley Loot. The latter, a daughter of Demaloot Demashoot, was named Michigan’s Horse of the Year and top 3-year-old filly in 2007.
He races roughly two dozen racehorses at Tampa Bay Downs and in 2014 launched Team Equest, a Florida-based syndicate initiative designed to attract new owners to racing via a fractional ownership plan. He races under Volar Corporation and owned Florida-bred Indy Lyon, a winner on Florida Cup Day at Tampa Bay Downs in 2021.
Campbell taught finance, banking and investment courses at Wayne State University. He has a Bachelor of Science degree in liberal arts from Central Michigan University, an M.B.A. degree from Wayne State University and the University of Michigan where he later served 10 years on the Dean’s visiting committee for the business school.
Campbell has served on the Board of Trustees for Central Michigan University. Campbell was Michigan Entrepreneur of the Year in 1993. Campbell previously served as a director, president/CEO of Magna Entertainment, Inc., later purchased by the Stronach Group, now referred to as 1/ST, an entertainment and real estate company in North America with Thoroughbred horse racing and pari-mutuel wagering at the core.
