Washington, MO – Bank of Washington Chairman of the Board and Chief Executive Officer L. B. Eckelkamp, Jr. recently announced the promotion of Phillip Kleekamp to assistant vice president of commercial lending and the promotion of Mark Degenhardt to credit officer at the Bank of Washington.“Phillip and Mark have both shown great dedication within the credit department and have provided unwavering support to their teams across the bank and to our customers,” stated President Louis B. “Buzz” Eckelkamp, III.
Kleekamp joined the bank in 2012 as a credit analyst and was promoted to credit officer in 2019. He is a St. Francis Borgia Regional High School alumni and graduated from Maryville University with a Bachelor of Science in Accounting. Kleekamp also graduated from the Missouri Bankers Association School of Lending in 2016, and the Missouri Bankers School of Bank Management in 2020. He is a member of RMA Credit Management Forum and the Missouri Bankers Association. He is a 2020 recipient of the Washington Area Chamber of Commerce Outstanding Young Professional Award. Kleekamp is a member of St. Francis Borgia Parish, chaired the St. Francis Borgia Parish Fall Festival with his wife in 2021, and is involved in a number of community organizations. In 2020, he was the Franklin County Area United Way Campaign Co-Chair/Board President, Treasurer and Trustee of the St. Francis Borgia Regional High School Athletic Association from 2013-2019, baseball coach for the American Legion Post 218, volunteer coach for the YMCA, volunteer with Meals on Wheels, and a member of Knights of Columbus, Elks, and Sons of the American Legion. Kleekamp and his wife, Mary, reside in Washington with their three children, Jack, Lily and Anna.
Degenhardt joined the bank in 2017 as a credit analyst and has over 15 years of banking experience. He is a St. Francis Borgia Regional High School alumni, graduated from East Central College with Associate of Applied Science degrees in Business Management and in Marketing, and graduated from Central Methodist University with a Bachelor of Science degree in Business Management and a minor in Economics. He also graduated from the Missouri School of Lending and the Missouri Graduate School of Lending through the Missouri Bankers Association. Degenhardt has volunteered for Meals on Wheels and is a member of the Missouri Bankers Association and Risk Management Association.
The Bank of Washington is a full-service bank headquartered in Washington, MO. They are the oldest and largest community bank in Franklin County, serving the community for more than 140 years. The investments that the Bank of Washington makes in the local community ranks them as one of the largest commercial lenders in the St. Louis area and they have been consistently voted the No. 1 bank and mortgage lender in the Washington Missourian Readers’ Choice Awards.