COMMERCE BANK ANNOUNCES OFFICER PROMOTIONS AND ELECTIONS

KANSAS CITY, MO - May 17, 2002 - The Board of Directors of Commerce Bank, Kansas City, announced the following officer promotions and elections.

Chuck Bowers has been promoted to Vice President in the Retail Lending and Payment Systems (RLPS) Division of the Bank. In this capacity, Bowers is responsible for account management, retention and product delivery of the bank's major merchant accounts. Additionally, he is responsible for the customer retention and technical service delivered through the merchant services' contact center. He has been with Commerce Bank for eight years and earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Business and, later, a Masters Degree in Business Management from Baker University in Baldwin City, KS.

Bill Zink has been promoted to Assistant Vice President in the Operations division of Commerce Bank. Zink manages the day-to-day operations of the Adjustments area in the Customer Services Department. He has eight years of experience in the financial services industry. Zink earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Accounting from Southwest Missouri State University in Springfield, MO.

Paul L. Johnson has been elected Officer in the Operations division of the bank. Johnson directs a staff of more than 55 employees in the proof department in the transit area of the bank and he collects and prepares all incoming bank transactions, commercial deposits and correspondent bank deposits for processing in the transit division. He is a member of the Black Achievers of Kansas City where he assisted with the youth motivation program and tennis tournament fundraiser for the organization's scholarship fund. Johnson earned an Associate of Arts degree from Johnson County Community College in Overland Park, KS, and a Bachelor of Arts degree in Business Administration from Park College in Parkville, MO.

Mark Sullivan has been elected Officer, Bankcard Merchant Processing, in the RLPS division of the bank. Sullivan manages the relationships between Commerce Bank and its major merchant partners. His is responsible for providing advanced payment solutions, business development and account retention. between Commerce Bank and its major merchant partners to provide appropriate payment solutions and renew contracts. He was the Restaurant Committee Chair for Taste of the Nation in 1998-2001. Sullivan earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Marketing from the University of Missouri, St. Louis, where he graduated with Cum Laude honors.

About Commerce Bank
Commerce Bank is an affiliate of Commerce Bancshares, Inc. Commerce Bancshares is a registered bank holding company with assets of $12.3 billion and affiliates offering a full line of banking services, including investment management and securities brokerage. The Company currently operates in more than 340 locations in Missouri, Illinois and Kansas. The Company also has operating subsidiaries involved in mortgage banking, credit related insurance, venture capital and real estate activities.

For more information contact:
Eliza Hamlet
Public Relations Representative
(816) 234-1930

Website: www.commercebank.com
e-mail: mymoney@commercebank.com
SYMBOL: CBSH

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