The thrift has named John Woodworth regional director for operations in Orange, Seminole, Osceola and Lake counties. Woodworth has five new locations under construction and is close to completing deals on five other sites as he combs the four-county area for more properties to lease or buy.

The newest branch is scheduled to open in June at the Waterford Lakes community in east Orange County. Other branches nearing completion are two in Kissimmee, FL and one each in Ocoee, FL and West Melbourne, FL, Brevard County.

Washington Mutual posted first-quarter earnings of $641 million or $1.15 per diluted share, up 40% from first-quarter 2000 earnings of $458.5 million or 83 cents per diluted share.

Another financial institution, locally based First Commercial Bank of Florida, headed by Alan Rowe, plans to grow its two-year-old, two-office operations this year with new branches of at least 5,000 sf each in suburban Winter Garden, FL and other undetermined locations in Orange, Osceola, Seminole and Lake counties.

The 300-investor bank is kicking off a second stock offering at $12.50 per share, a 25% appreciation over the initial 1999 offering of $10 per share. Rowe is shooting for a $300 million response.