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2011 40 Under 40 Honoree: Scott McDonald

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As Empire Bank’s community president for Christian County and president of the Nixa School Board, Scott McDonald has his eyes on the future of the growing Christian County town, which had a population of less than 5,000 when he graduated from high school in 1990.

“Today, Nixa has more than 15,000 people and more than 10 banks,” McDonald says. “It still amazes me to think I am fortunate enough to live and work in, and give back to, the same community (where) I grew up.”

After high school, McDonald earned a bachelor’s in finance from Missouri State University. His résumé includes entrepreneurship, as a former owner of Summer Scent Manufacturing and a gig as chief financial officer and real estate manager for APT Transportation. He has more than a decade of banking experience – previously working at Peoples Bank of the Ozarks and Metropolitan National Bank – and he is a graduate of the Missouri Bankers Association School of Lending.

Now, McDonald is among the Empire Bank employees who support the community through volunteering.

“Empire Bank is committed to the communities it serves, and this is prevalent in Nixa,” he says.
As a board member with the American Diabetes Association, McDonald is chairman of the annual fundraiser, Walk for Diabetes. He’s also board secretary for Ozarks Regional Community Development and a board member for Nixa Education Foundation.

McDonald considers his role as president of the Nixa School Board particularly rewarding.

“The teachers and leaders of (the school district) are among the very best,” he says. “Nixa schools offer each student a quality education and equip the students to become productive citizens.”

Education is a personal priority for McDonald, who in May 2010 completed his Master of Business Administration through Webster University’s Springfield campus. McDonald says he is equally proud of his roles with the bank, the school board and in his family, and he notes that his approach in any situation is simple.

“Hopefully, I have influenced the success of others through leading by example,” McDonald says. “One of my favorite quotes is by leadership author Ken Blanchard: ‘The key to successful leadership today is influence, not authority.’”

He has demonstrated leadership in several ways, including offering suggestions and input to Empire Bank branch managers in Christian County, and joining committees and forming action plans to improve educational opportunities for Nixa students.

“In my opinion, being in involved means seeing action or positive results from the decisions you and the team you are involved with are making,” he says. “Being busy is just that – unproductive busywork. None of us want to meet just for the sake of meeting.”

Click here for full coverage of the 2011 40 Under 40.[[In-content Ad]]

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