Bryan Holt became the president and Chief Executive Officer of Union State Bank on Jan. 1, 2019.

“I’ll be the fifth generation of the Holt family to hold this position,” Bryan Holt said.  “It is a great honor for me.”

Union State Bank has been family-owned and operated since 1901.

“My great-grandfather, L.E. “Emett” Holt began, then grand-dad Curtis Holt, then my dad, Kent Holt,” Kenny Holt said.

Kenny Holt held the president and CEO position from 1993 to December 31, 2018.

“We (he and his wife, Nancy) are slowing down and doing things we want to do,” Kenny Holt said.

Kenny will work in the transition period to mentor Bryan and Chad Holt, his younger son, who will be taking over some duties as well, he said.

Bryan Holt has been preparing for leadership through education and career experience.

He has an associates degree from Fort Scott Community College and a Bachelors in Business Administration with a major in Finance from Pittsburg State University Additionally, he completed the Graduate School of Banking in 2012.

“I have worked at the (Union State) bank twice now,” Bryan Holt said. “Part-time as a teller from 1990 – 1993.  I returned to the bank in 2005 as the Business Development Officer and Information Security Officer, moving from McKinney, Texas. In a bank our size, all of the officers have been exposed to all parts of the business and that’s true of me.”

“My duties will be evolving to include overseeing overall operations of the bank, including strategic direction,” he said.  “Of course, I’ll still be working in lending and business development, but learning this new role will become a large part of my daily activities.”

Technology has been changed the culture in America and the world, and the banking sector is no different.

“The rapid advance of technology will continue to disrupt the traditional banking model,” Bryan Holt said.  “Our customers will rely less and less on coming into the branch, preferring to do business via mobile methods.  We are working to balance the personalized service that we’ve been providing for nearly 120 years with the convenience of banking from your mobile device.”

“Technology has allowed us to do a lot of things,” Kenny Holt said.

A negative change in banking in the last 25 years is the “regulatory burden put on us,” Kenny Holt said. “The regulation doesn’t apply to us (small banks), but we still have to abide.”

USB  stated purpose is to provide affordable, high-quality financial products and services that enhance the customers’ financial well-being and strengthen the communities they serve.  The mission is to be the bank of choice in the communities served.

Union State Bank has two locations: on the  Uniontown square and can be reached at 620-756-4305 and Fort Scott at 1009 S. Clark, 620-223-0066.