Encore Bank of Little Rock announced Thursday its expansion into Boulder, Colorado with the appointment of Gary Geis to serve as executive vice president and Boulder market president.
Josh Peebles, regional president for Colorado, said in a news release, “Boulder is an attractive high-growth market with a diverse mix of leading industry clusters and a business climate known for entrepreneurship and innovation. Geis is the perfect person to build the Encore brand there. He is a visionary leader and a highly respected banking professional.”
Geis is a 20-year banking veteran with expertise in commercial lending, credit and business development. Before joining Encore, He was the Boulder market president for Great Western Bank. He is a graduate of Black Hills State University, where he earned a bachelor’s degree in business administration and marketing.
Encore also hired Kent Nuzum, who will serve as executive vice president and Boulder commercial group president, and Chris Melin, who will serve as senior vice president and commercial relationship manager. Together, Geis, Nuzum and Melin bring a combined 45 years of banking experience to their roles.
They are also seeking a permanent space for the Boulder branch and are building a team of eight to 10 banking professionals for it.
Encore is a $750 million-asset bank operating in 20 markets across Arkansas, Alabama, Colorado, Florida, Missouri, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee and Texas. The bank first entered Colorado in May when it announced its expansion into Denver.