Exhibit 24

                               POWER OF ATTORNEY



         KNOW ALL MEN BY THESE PRESENTS, that the undersigned hereby constitutes
and appoints R. Carl Palmer, Jr. his true and lawful attorney-in-fact to:

         i.       execute for and on behalf of the undersigned, in the
                  undersigned's capacity as an officer and/or director of Pointe
                  Financial (the "Company"), any and all Forms 3, 4, and 5
                  required to be filed by the undersigned in accordance with
                  Section 16(a) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 and the
                  rules thereunder;

         ii.      do and perform any and all acts for and on behalf of the
                  undersigned which may be necessary or desirable to complete
                  and execute any such Forms 3, 4, and 5 and timely file such
                  form with the United States Securities and Exchange Commission
                  and any stock exchange or similar authority; and

         iii.     take any other action of any type whatsoever in connection
                  with the foregoing which, in the opinion of such
                  attorney-in-fact, may be of benefit to, in the best interest
                  of, or legally required by, the undersigned, it being
                  understood that the documents executed by such
                  attorney-in-fact on behalf of the undersigned, pursuant to
                  this Power of Attorney, shall be in such form and shall
                  contain such terms and conditions as such attorney-in-fact may
                  approve in his discretion.

         The undersigned hereby grants to each such attorney-in-fact full power
and authority to do and perform all and every act and thing whosoever requisite,
necessary, and proper to be done in the exercise of any of the rights and powers
herein granted, as fully to all intents and purposes as the undersigned might or
could do if personally present, with full power of substitution or revocation,
hereby ratifying and confirming all that such attorney-in-fact, or his
substitute or substitutes, shall lawfully do or cause to be done by virtue of
this Power of Attorney and the rights and powers herein granted. The undersigned
acknowledges that no such attorney-in-fact, in serving in such capacity at the
request of the undersigned, is hereby assuming, nor is the Company hereby
assuming, and of the undersigned's responsibilities to comply with Section 16 of
the Securities Exchange Act of 1934.

         This Power of Attorney shall remain in full force and effect until the
undersigned is no longer required to file Form, 3, 4, and 5 with respect to the
undersigned's holdings of the transactions in securities issued by the Company,
unless earlier revoked by the undersigned in a signed writing delivered to the
foregoing attorneys-in-fact.

         IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the undersigned has caused this Power of Attorney
to be executed as of this 17 day of November, 2000.





                                                     /s/ Clarita Kassin
                                                     -------------------------
                                                     Clarita Kassin