Brent Eichelberger

“I would encourage the next generation to make it a point to have an attitude of continuous learning. It doesn’t just stop when you get out of school.”

Brent was born in southeastern Iowa and grew up in Hesston, KS with his parents and sister.  He received his undergraduate degree from Friends University, Wichita, KS, and his MBA from Bradley University, Peoria, IL.  Brent has been married to his wife Renee for 31 years, and they enjoy spending time with their grown children – Taylor and Jordan, Jacie and Spencer, Amy and JT, and Jake.  The family is really looking forward to Amy and JT’s baby (first grandchild) due in March, and Jacie and Spencer’s wedding in May!

Brent has more than 30 years of banking experience (15 years with Commerce Bank) in various leadership and banking roles.  As CEO of Commerce Bank’s Illinois Market, Brent is responsible for Commerce Bank’s presence throughout Central Illinois and was instrumental in leading the bank’s commitment and investment in the new regional headquarters building in downtown Peoria which opened in January 2019.
With a personal and corporate commitment to community, Brent has been active in several community organizations over the years, including leadership roles.  He is currently a Board Member of the Illinois Chamber of Commerce, Align Peoria, and Heart of Illinois United Way; Advisory Board Member of OSF Saint Francis Medical Center; and Member of the CEO Council and the Central Illinois Multiple Sclerosis Council. Brent is also a graduate of the Peoria and Morton leadership schools.

For more than 150 years, the success of Commerce Bank has revolved around three central themes of strength, community and innovation.  Moody’s ranks Commerce among the top 7 banks in the country.¹ Commerce Bancshares was recognized for several areas of its business in Bank Director’s 2019 Ranking Banking study, taking the number 1 spot for Best Branch Network Strategy, Best Core Deposit Growth Strategy and Best Retail Strategy. Commerce was listed as the third-best bank overall in the Midwest region and also earned high rankings for its technology strategy, commercial lending strategy and board of directors, as of December 2018.

1. Based on a baseline credit assessment (BCA) of a1. BCA reflects a bank’s standalone credit strength. As of November 14, 2018.