From our Chairman
Embrace Opportunites With
Looking back on my career, it is impossible to count how many random events shaped my career and led me to this point as chairman of the Missouri Bankers Association. Tere are two, though, that vividly stand out.
John Everett, MBA Chairman Legacy Bank and Trust, Springfield
First was accepting a job offer in December 2004 from Chris Harlin to join Legacy Bank and Trust in Rogersville. Te Harlin family with Century Bank of the Ozarks in Gainesville — Hugh Tan, John and Chris — have a long history of leadership with MBA. All three have served as MBA chairman — the only family to have three generations lead the MBA. I sincerely appreciate the opportunity the Harlin family has given me, and I am honored to follow in their footsteps with MBA.
Te second occurred in June 2005 when I attended MBA’s convention as a member of
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Legacy Bank. Chris wants his team to experience all that convention offers — the sessions, the networking and the comradery with your peers. To be honest, I don’t remember much about that convention except that Chuck Brazeale was named MBA chairman. I didn’t know Chuck at the time, but I thought to myself that this is a really remarkable man to lead our association. You instantly knew Chuck was a man of high morals and character and would do a wonderful job leading our association. (For the record, you haven’t shaken anybody’s hand until you shake hands with Chuck.)
Since then, I have continued to attend MBA’s convention and Executive Management Conference every year. Te same holds true for participating in MBA’s Target Banker visits in Jefferson City and the association’s
annual delegation visits to Washington, D.C.
When I first started participating in these events and programs, I felt like the youngest person in the room. I don’t remember much about the topics we discussed, but I do remember soaking in the entire experience as I watched Paul Tompson, John Klebba, Bill Dana, Ken Littlefield and Rob Barrett express their views and pose their questions to lawmakers and regulators. As for me, I was there on those visits because I believe in the power of numbers, and I felt that I was helping the association just by being the room.
However, over time, a switch flipped. I realized that I was oſten the most experienced banker in the room, and I had been in the room with these same people multiple times. I had forged relationships with bankers
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