Kansas community banker Steve Handke elected Chairman

Memphis, TN (November 10, 2020) – The Paul W. Barret, Jr. School of Banking today announced it’s 2020-2021 Executive Committee during its fall Board meeting.

Steve Handke, Chief Administrative Officer and Regional President of First Option Bank in Horton, KS will serve as Chairman.

Joining Handke on the Executive Committee are:

• Brian Walhood (Chair – Elect) – Chief Sales Officer/BancorpSouth/Memphis, TN
• Ray Smith (Immediate Past Chair, Board of Regents) – EVP/Renasant Bank/Tupelo, MS
• Jeff Gerrish (Secretary) (Legal Concerns) – Attorney/Gerrish Smith Tuck/Memphis, TN
• Ray Skinner (Chair, Banking Associations Comm.) – CEO/TC Bank/Rolla, MO
• Jim Gowen, Jr. (Chair, Curriculum/Faculty Comm.) – CEO/M & P Bank/Newport, AR
• Boris Dover (Chair, Finance Comm.) – President/1^st Community Bank/Batesville, AR
• Jim Reber (Chair, Lecture Series Comm.) – CEO/ICBA Securities/Memphis, TN
• Jennifer Nunley (Chair, Special Programs Comm.) – EVP/Security Bank/Dyersburg, TN
• Jeanie Rittenberry (At-Large) – SVP & Marketing Director/FirstBank/Nashville, TN
• Shane Clayton (At-Large) – CEO/1^st Choice Bank/Pontotoc, MS
• Mike Hobbs (At-Large) – President/FM Bank/Dexter, MO

Additional members of the Board of Regents include:

• Tim Compton – CEO/Traditions Bank/Cullman, AL
• David Crader – Chairman/Bank of MO/Perryville, MO
• Katya Farmer – 2018 Class Rep./Product Develop. Manager/Arvest Bank/Lowell, AR
• Lisa Foley – EVP/Pinnacle Financial Partners/Memphis, TN
• Eric Hallman – CEO/NE Ind. Community Bankers/Lincoln, NE
• David Hayes – CEO/Security Bank/Dyersburg, TN
• Gene Henson – President, N. Region/Trustmark Bank/Memphis, TN
• Robert Herrera – President/1^st Western Bank/Booneville, AR
• Danny Kelly – CEO/Hometown Bank/Oneonta, AL
• Art Kniffen – Director/St. Louis Bank/St. Louis, MO
• Lindsay LaNore – Group EVP, Community Banker Univ./ICBA/Minneapolis, MN
• Sam McClatchy – CEO/1^st State Bank/Holly Springs, MS
• John McNair – CEO/CBA of GA/Atlanta, GA
• Shawn Mitchell – CEO/CBA of KS/Topeka, KS
• Chris Padgett – Executive Director/AR Community Bankers/Little Rock, AR
• Bob Palmer – CEO/CBA of OH/Columbus, OH
• Justin St. Pierre – CEO/Peoples Bank & Trust/Troy, MO
• Matt Ruge – Executive Director/MO Ind. Bankers Assoc./Jefferson City, MO
• Douglas Scarboro – SVP, Regional Exec./FRB of St. Louis/Memphis, TN
• Milton Smith – CEO/1^st National Bank/Walnut Ridge, AR
• Jim Strickland – 2017 Class Rep./President, Greene County/BankSouth/Greensboro, GA
• Donna Tanner – Executive Director/CBA of WV/Beckley, WV
• John Witkowski – CEO/Ind. Bankers Assoc. of NY State/Albany, NY
• Whitney Watson – 2019 Class Rep./Sales Manager/Arvest Bank/Bartlesville, OK

About Barret School of Banking

Barret School of Banking is an endowed. Non-profit, independent school created by and governed by a Board of Regents, whose members are executives from banks and other firms involved with the financial services industry. The School provides an adult learning experience for the career-oriented individual in commercial banking or a related financial services industry business.