Helena, Mont.-based Eagle Bancorp Montana, Inc. announced March 16 that President/CEO Peter Johnson will retire at the end of this year after 41 years with the bank.
Laura Clark, the current executive vice president, CFO and chief operating officer, will succeed Johnson as president and board member effective April 1 and CEO effective following Johnson’s retirement.
Johnson joined the bank in 1981 and has been president and CEO since 2007, leading Opportunity Growth of Montana as it grew in assets from $240 million to $1.44 billion. He guided the bank through a branch acquisition and four whole bank acquisitions. Johnson will remain on the bank board following his retirement.
“Pete has been a remarkable leader and a highly effective CEO, and we wish him every happiness in his well-deserved retirement as we continue to build on his legacy,” stated Rick Hays, board chair. “During his tenure, he has navigated the company through a period of significant change, including over the course of the Great Recession and the global pandemic, and he has fostered a culture that continues to differentiate us in the marketplace.”
Prior to joining Opportunity Bank of Montana in 2014, Clark served as the senior VP and CFO of the Bank of Bozeman for nine years. She has more than 40 years of experience in banking and has held a variety of executive roles with First National Bancorp, Bankers Resource Center, Security Bank, Bank of Montana System and Montana Bancsystem. She has a Bachelor of Arts degree in business and Spanish from Montana State University in Billings, after she completed her studies at the University of Salamanca in Spain. She is a member of the Montana Independent Bankers. “Laura has extensive and broad experience in Montana banking, and is one of the most respected bankers in our Montana markets. She has earned this opportunity,” Johnson said.
Eagle Bancorp Corporate Financial Director Miranda Spaulding will be promoted to Clark’s role. Spaulding, a CPA, joined the bank in 2013 and has more than two decades of experience in financial reporting for public companies. She has a Bachelor of Science degree in business-accounting option, and a Master of Professional Accountancy degree from Montana State University. She is a member of the Montana Society of CPAs and the American Institute of CPAs.