Founded by Springfield business leaders who believed banking decisions should be made by the people who live and work in the communities they serve.
In 1987, a group of Springfield business leaders — farmers, shop owners, attorneys, and physicians — came together with a shared frustration: the banks serving their community were making lending decisions in offices hundreds of miles away. Loan applications were reduced to numbers on a screen, and the character of the borrower and the needs of the community were nowhere in the equation.
They pooled their resources and opened the doors of Community Regional Bank at a single branch on Main Street. The founding principle was simple: keep banking local. Deposits from Springfield families and businesses would be reinvested right here in Springfield — funding small business expansion, helping families buy homes, and supporting the agricultural economy that has always been the backbone of the Ozarks.
Nearly four decades later, that principle has not changed. We have grown to five branches and over $420 million in deposits, but every lending decision is still made by bankers who live in this community, know its businesses, and care about its future. We are not a branch of a distant holding company. We are your neighbors.
Community Regional Bank opens its doors at 450 Main Street, Springfield, with $8.2 million in initial capital raised by 47 local investors. First-year deposits reach $24 million.
Deposits surpass $100 million. The bank opens its second branch on South Campbell Avenue to serve the rapidly growing south Springfield corridor.
Community deposits cross the $200 million mark. CRB launches its agricultural lending division, formalizing the bank's longstanding commitment to Ozarks farmers and ranchers.
CRB launches its digital banking platform, including online account management, mobile check deposit, and bill pay — bringing modern convenience to community banking.
Branches open in Nixa and Republic, extending CRB's reach across the Springfield metro area while maintaining the local decision-making model.
The Ozark branch opens, marking CRB's fifth location. Total deposits exceed $400 million. The bank celebrates 35 years of community service.
Experienced bankers with deep roots in the Springfield community.
Jim has led CRB since 2008 after serving as VP of Commercial Lending for 12 years. A Springfield native and Drury University graduate, Jim serves on the board of the Springfield Area Chamber of Commerce and coaches Little League at Doling Park.
Linda oversees all five branch locations and the bank's retail deposit products. She joined CRB in 1998 as a teller and worked her way up through every role in the branch. She is a graduate of Missouri State University and volunteers with the Junior League of Springfield.
Tom leads the bank's commercial and agricultural lending divisions. Before joining CRB in 2005, he spent a decade in ag lending at a regional bank in Joplin. He is active with the Missouri Bankers Association and the Greene County Farm Bureau.
Rachel has helped over 1,200 families in the Springfield area achieve homeownership since joining CRB in 2010. She specializes in first-time homebuyer programs and USDA rural lending. Rachel holds her NMLS license and is a HUD-certified housing counselor.
Community banking is not just what we do — it is who we are. Our commitment extends well beyond the lobby.
James "Jim" Callahan — President & CEO
Dr. Patricia Langston — Retired Physician, CoxHealth
Robert K. Engel — Attorney, Engel & Associates
Mary Beth Sumner — Owner, Sumner Hardware & Supply
Dale Hutchinson — Hutchinson Farms, Republic
Janet Wu — Professor of Economics, Missouri State University
Our board members live and work in the communities we serve, ensuring that the bank's direction always reflects local priorities.