By Melissa Dunson

mdunson@joplinglobe.com

Mid-Missouri Bank has named Mike R. White, 51, the new president of the five Joplin and Webb City locations with total assets of nearly $300 million.

Lee Gilbert, chairman, president and chief executive officer of Springfield-based Mid-Missouri Bancshares, said White until accepting the job had worked as the commercial team leader at Commerce Bank since 2002. He has previous experience at U.S. Bank in Springfield and Bank of America.

Gilbert said this is the first time White has worked for Mid-Missouri Bancshares. White already is working in his new position, and his office is at the 32nd Street location. White will be responsible for all five Joplin and Webb City locations. He lives with his family south of Carthage.

Scott Rosenthal, former president and chief executive officer of Mid-Missouri Bank in Joplin, was fired April 12, along with Kayla Muskrat, a former loan officer at the bank. Three other Mid-Missouri Bank officials were fired two weeks ago: Frank McReynolds, senior vice president of the 32nd Street branch; Chris Couch, executive vice president at the same location; and Tim Langston, assistant vice president and branch manager of the Northpark branch.

All the former employees were “terminated for cause” by Mid-Missouri Bancshares, but no details have been disclosed by the company.

An investigation involving the Missouri Division of Finance, the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp., the FBI and the bank’s bonding company has been acknowledged, but those agencies also are remaining mum.

White is the latest in a series of new hires and promotions at Mid-Missouri since the investigation began and the officials were fired. Last week, James S. “Jim” Dawson was appointed to Mid-Missouri’s board of directors, and Steve Walker, former president and chief executive officer of Webb City Bank, came back from retirement to help out at Mid-Missouri’s Webb City and Joplin locations.

White said Wednesday that in light of the investigation into the former employees, he originally had some questions when he was asked to take the position, but after careful examination, he didn’t have any issues with the way the bank was run.

Gilbert said that apart from his banking credentials, White’s personality and rapport with customers are among the reasons he was hired.

“He fits in with our banking style, and he’s just a great banker,” Gilbert said.

White said he has extensive experience in credit and credit administration, and in his new position, he wants to help the bank grow beyond the Joplin-Webb City region.

Melissa Dunson is the business writer for The Joplin Globe.