Guaranty Federal Bancshares, Inc. announced that its subsidiary, Guaranty Bank, hired H. Charles “Charley” Puls to serve as Executive Vice President, Chief Lending Officer.  As a member of the bank’s executive management team, Puls’ primary responsibility will be to oversee the management, direction, and development of the bank’s commercial lending and corporate services lines of business.

Puls, who has more than 23 years of banking experience, served as Senior Vice President, Market President in Southeast Missouri for Regions Bank for the past 9 years.  Prior to that, Puls was Senior Vice President, Relationship Manager for Regions Bank, Union Planters Bank, and Capital Bank & Trust in the St. Louis market. 

Additionally, the Bank promoted Eric Leonard to Senior Vice President, Senior Relationship Manager of Specialty Finance.  Leonard will be responsible for the administration and development of the bank’s specialty financing services including low income housing tax credit financing, commercial leasing, industrial development revenue bonds, and asset-based lending.  Leonard, who has been with Guaranty Bank since 2008, has more than 21 years of lending experience in Springfield.  He graduated with honors from the Graduate School of Banking at Colorado and has an undergraduate degree from George Mason University.

The Bank also promoted Micah Scott to Senior Vice President, Small Business Banking Manager.  Scott will be responsible for the administration and development of Small Business Administration (SBA) lending.  The Bank is a preferred lending partner of the SBA and has led the region in SBA loan volume for the last two quarters. Scott, who started his career with Guaranty Bank as a Credit Analyst in 2008, actively participates with the local SCORE chapter and serves on the board of the Ronald McDonald House Charities.  He holds a Finance Degree from Missouri State University and is a Chartered Financial Analyst.  Before coming to Guaranty Bank, Scott worked as an assistant bank examiner for the Federal Reserve Bank of Kansas City.

“Charley has an extensive background in community bank management and commercial lending and will be an excellent addition to our executive team.  Eric and Micah are experts in their respective lending fields, and promoting them will allow for continued growth in these key areas as well as increasing our management depth to accommodate our future growth,” said Shaun Burke, President and CEO of Guaranty Bank.

Executive Vice President, Chief Lending Officer H. Michael Mattson previously announced his retirement effective June 30, 2016 after 10 years of service to Guaranty Bank and more than 37 years of service to the banking industry.

Guaranty Federal Bancshares, Inc. has a subsidiary corporation offering full banking services.  The principal subsidiary, Guaranty Bank, is headquartered in Springfield, Missouri, and has nine full-service branches in Greene and Christian Counties and Loan Production Offices in Jasper and Webster County.