COMMERCE BANK ANNOUNCED OFFICER PROMOTIONS AND ELECTIONS

(KANSAS CITY, MO, October 26, 2001 - Commerce Bank, N.A. Kansas City announced the following officer promotions:

Ms. Barbara A. Cartwright has been elected Distribution and Customer Services Officer in the Commerce Trust Company. She serves as liaison between the Commerce Funds, Commerce Investment Advisors Inc., Commerce Brokerage Services Inc. and the Commerce Trust Company. Ms. Cartwright is a 22 year employee of Commerce Bank, and in her career, has had handled a variety of sales and service responsibilities. In her current role, she coordinates various Commerce Funds' related activities including customer education, information distribution, wholesaling and investment communications. She also assists in conducting Commerce Investment Advisors Inc. investment seminars and committee meetings and quarterly Commerce Funds board meetings.

Mrs. Jennifer Cook has been elected Officer in the Retail department. She is now responsible for managing the daily operations of the University of Kansas Branch in Lawrence, Kansas. Mrs. Cook has more than 21 year of experience in the banking industry. She is currently a member of the American Legion Auxiliary.

Ms. Sherry Davis has been elected Personal Trust Officer in The Commerce Trust Company. She is responsible for Irrevocable Life Insurance Trusts and Commerce Mutual Fund Trust accounts. Mrs. Davis has been with Commerce Bank more than 25 years. She is currently a PTA Member and a Missouri Yacht Club Member. Mrs. Davis earned her Associate Degree in Business from Maple Woods Community College, Kansas City, Missouri.

Mr. Thomas J. Malagarie has been elected Officer in the Corporate Finance department. As Accounting Manager for Commerce Mortgage Corp., he manages a staff that prepares daily and monthly accounting mortgage lending entries. He also prepares annual budgets and quarterly reports for the Mortgage Bankers Association. He has been in the banking industry for more than 28 years. Mr. Malagarie earned his Bachelor of Science degree in Business Administration from the University of Louisiana, Lafayette, Louisiana.

Mrs. Susan Regan has been promoted to Vice President in the Capital Markets Group. As an Agency Product Manager, her responsibilities include maintaining agency security inventory, finding securities that fit client investment and cash management needs, as well as overseeing treasury and agency trading. She has been with Commerce Bank for more than 12 years. Mrs. Regan earned her Masters of Arts and Bachelor of Arts degrees in Economics from the University of Missouri, Columbia, Missouri.

Mr. John Christopher Shaw has been elected Officer in the Human Resources department. As a Senior Human Resources Representative, he is responsible for employee relations and recruiting, as well as other HR functions. He is a member of the Employment Resource Forum and a committee member of the Employment Practices Network. Mr. Shaw earned his Bachelor of Science degree in Journalism from University of Kansas, Lawrence, Kansas.

Commerce Bank is a subsidiary of Commerce Bancshares, Inc., a registered bank holding company with assets of $12.3 billion offering a full line of banking services, including investment management and securities brokerage. The Company currently operates in 341 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:
Natasha Hanova
Marketing Specialist
(816) 234-1930

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

SYMBOL: CBSH

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