Pub. 1 2021 Issue 1

A BACKGROUND ON ... KEEPING BALANCE AND PERSPECTIVE 16 | The Show-Me Banker Magazine Andrew Lee has a favorite quote by John Lennon: “Life is what happens to you while you are busy making other plans.” Accord- ing to Andrew, it’s been a mantra he lives by, “If things are not so great, something great comes along. If things are going re- ally well for too long, I get checked with a learning experience. Things balance. It makes the good and the bad make sense, and I think it helps me keep perspective in my life and the banking industry as well, for that matter.” In spring 2006, it was time for Andrew to do something new. He was working as the media and community relations manager for a professional indoor soccer team, the St. Louis Steamers, and he was also doing some work for a local television station. It became clear the that the St. Louis Steamers weren’t going to be around (The current St. Louis Steamers team is a women’s soccer team with a program to train young players.) Andrew wanted to change directions. He had some family in Columbia, Missouri, so Andrew decided to relocate there and start his second career. That meant starting from the ground up. Andrew got a job primarily taking phone calls and writing emails in Boone County National Bank’s customer service de- partment. Boone County National Bank (renamed Central Bank of Boone County June 12, 2015) was part of a 13-bank holding com- pany. He loved it. Andrew eventually moved back to St. Louis, and ended up in various managerial positions on the retail side at Central Bank of St. Louis. Several people at Boone County, in Columbia and later in St. Louis, had a significant impact on Andrew’s career. “They had more faith in me than I did,” he said. “It was flatter- ing and humbling at the same time, and it made a big difference in my career.” Mary Beth Gillum and Karen Taylor “were two people that gave me a lot of confidence. They taught me the financial industry and also mentored me to manage people.” Back in St. Louis, Tracy Thomas was another key person in Andrew’s career. She gave him encouragement and feedback, and she helped himmap out career moves. “She saw the potential in me,” he said. “She has become a good friend.” Also in St. Louis, Andrew moved into corre- spondent banking thanks to veteran banker Matt Favazza, who according to Andrew, taught him to be a banker. Dan Ward, another veteran banker, was also another great mentor. “We were competitors for a number of years,” said Andrew. “Dan taught me that in the corre- spondent banking world, it’s important to be mindful that our clients — community bankers — have the resources they need all day. We can’t just sell products. We need to understand what bankers go through, find out what their goals are and help them achieve those goals. It’s understanding be- fore walking through the door and prepar- ing for the experience. I am not a salesper- son; I am a collaborator — a resource.” Dan approached Andrew on behalf of Mid- west Independent BankersBank because he thought it would be a good fit. Andrew agreed. “I would be working in a banker’s bank, primarily in correspondence bank- ing,” he said. He has now been with Midwest Indepen- dent BankersBank for 14 months. “It was such a good decision,” he says. “I was promised that I would love it here, and I am.” He works from home in St. Louis and travels when necessary to make calls on banks in eastern Missouri. “The transition