Greg Baker considers Branson a place like no other and is proud to have spent a large portion of his banking career in the epicenter of Taney County.
“I feel honored that many of my customers treat me like a member of their business and seek my input on their future plans and dreams,” says Baker, senior vice president at Branson Bank, which has $165 million in assets. “Branson is a small town of 10,000 where relationships are valued and forged. It is also a destination that attracts almost 8 million tourists annually. The financing opportunities here are very unique and require bankers that know the landscape of the area.”
While completing his post-graduate work in Louisiana, Baker worked with commercial loans at Branson’s Ozark Mountain Bank, where he stayed for nine years, working his way up to a vice president role.
He then switched counties, relocating to the smaller Security Bank of Southwest Missouri in Cassville. While Security Bank only had $58 million in assets, compared to Ozark Mountain Bank’s $250 million, Baker moved up the chain to senior vice president and head of lending.
After three years, he moved back to Branson to work with Arvest Bank and since 2012 has called Branson Bank home.
“My role as a trusted adviser is one who listens and either validates a proposal or shoots holes in it. I am not there to judge but rather to facilitate thought,” he says. “I try to lay out the advantages and disadvantages and offer compromises or alternative ways to accomplish the goal.
“I hope my customers feel valued. I think the greatest asset our community and our country has is the entrepreneur who is willing to roll up their sleeves and start a new business.”
Baker enjoys a front-row seat when parents begin ceding responsibilities to their children, and he values the long-term relationships he has built with clients during his time in Branson.
“I think my customers always feel that I support and care for them,” Baker says. “They feel that there is more to the relationship than just providing capital. They feel more confident to expand in the future or feel that if they got in a temporary bind that I would be there to seek a way to help them get through a difficult period.”
Dan Boone, a real estate agent who sits on the board of directors for Branson Bank, has known Baker for more than 18 years.
“You will not meet a better man,” Boone says. “I first met him as my small business lender (and) he was instrumental in growing my business. Over the years, I got to know him as a coach for my kids, a role model at church and a leader in the community.
“Greg is one of the most respected bankers in Branson.”
Baker is a member of the Branson/Lakes Area Lodging Association, the Branson/Lakes Area Tourism Community Enhancement District, and he is a founding member of the Taney County Partnership, a public/private endeavor focused on economic development efforts.
He also gives his time to the community through the Branson-Hollister Rotary Club and is past president of the Boys and Girls Club of the Ozarks.[[In-content Ad]]
