Bank of America exec joins Peoples Bank

The former market president for Bank of America in Springfield has joined Nixa-based Peoples Bank of the Ozarks.

Jamie Esch - who moved to Springfield from Texas in late 2007 to take the local Bank of America position and has more than 16 years of experience with the Charlotte, N.C.-based corporation - started Jan. 7 as senior vice president and chief lending officer for Peoples Bank.

In the newly created role, Esch is responsible for leading a loan department staff of 21 and a portfolio comprising commercial, residential and consumer loans, as well as loan administration and underwriting oversight.

"I was on the road quite often, spending most of my time outside of southwest Missouri," Esch said, noting he voluntarily left Bank of America. "This position afforded me the opportunity to stay local."

As market president of Bank of America, Esch managed 162 banks in Missouri, Kansas, Illinois and Iowa. Of those, 16 are part of a deal to be sold to Fayetteville, Ark.-based Arvest Bank, he said.

While no Springfield branches are part of the deal - expected to close in the first quarter - Esch said it was a factor in his decision to seek employment elsewhere.

"It wasn't as much of a fear of my job elimination, more of an opportunity for me to stay local, to not travel and to work for a bank that had local ties and local roots," he said.

People Bank operates 10 branches in the Ozarks, staffed by more than 100 employees.