Great Southern exec to retire

Provided by Great Southern Bank

Lin Thomason has a 45-year career in banking.

Lin Thomason, chief information officer for Great Southern Bancorp Inc. (Nasdaq: GSBC), announced his retirement from the Springfield company, and a successor is in place.

Thomason, who has a 45-year banking career and has been a Great Southern Bank employee since 1997, is retiring effective Dec. 31, according to a news release.

During Thomason's tenure, Great Southern’s assets grew to $5.5 billion with 100 offices in 11 states from a regional operation with less than $1 billion in assets.

“We appreciate Lin’s contributions and leadership throughout his career,” Great Southern President and CEO Joe Turner said in the release. “His expertise and guidance on technology over the last 24 years has been instrumental in supporting the growth of our company. Lin will be greatly missed, and we wish him a healthy and enjoyable retirement.”

Eric Johnson, a Great Southern information technology and data security veteran since 2008, is slated to succeed Thomason as chief information officer. Management began planning for Thomason's retirement early this year to ensure a smooth transition.