COMMERCE BANK, BARRY COUNTY, APPOINTS CUPPS AND WATLEY TO ADVISORY BOARD

CASSVILLE, MO - October 28, 2002 - Jon Horner, community president, Commerce Bank, Barry County, announces the following appointments to the bank's Advisory Board of Directors:

Donald L. Cupps - Cupps is an attorney and partner with Ellis, Cupps and Cole. A Cassville native, he attended the University of Missouri, Columbia, earning his undergraduate degree in 1978 in Agricultural Economics. He went on to also earn his Juris Doctorate from the University of Missouri School of Law, Columbia, in 1981. Active in civic and professional organizations, Cupps is currently chairman, Cassville Industrial Development Corporation, and board member, South Barry County Hospital District. He has been the City Attorney for the City of Cassville for the past 20 years, the Southwest Rural Water District for the past 7 years, and the Barry County Industrial Development Authority for the past 4 years. He currently serves as a board member of the County Employee Retirement Fund that administers the defined benefit pension plan for County employees in the state of Missouri.

Jerry O. Watley - Watley is the founder, president and CEO of Able 2 Products Company. The Company's lights and sirens for emergency vehicles are manufactured in Cassville and sold internationally through a network of 3,000 distributors. Active in the community, Watley is board member and secretary/treasurer of the Barry County Rural Fire Department, and past president of the Cassville Chamber of Commerce. He also was instrumental in establishing the satellite campus of Crowder College in Cassville, donating a building he owned and remodeled at no cost to the college.

"We are pleased to build on a tradition of excellence in attracting quality board members to our bank," said Horner. "Don Cupps and Jerry Watley focus on the needs of the community and are leaders in law and manufacturing, respectively. Their perspectives will be highly valued as we strive to better serve our community and strengthen customer relationships in Barry County."

About Commerce Bank
Commerce Bank is the principal subsidiary of Commerce Bancshares Inc. (NASDAQ: CBSH), a $12.3 billion regional bank holding company. For more than 135 years, Commerce has been meeting the financial services needs of individuals and businesses. Commerce provides a diversified line of financial services, including business and personal banking, wealth management and estate planning and investments through its affiliated companies. Commerce Bancshares operates across three states with more than 340 locations and also has operating subsidiaries involved in mortgage banking, credit related insurance, venture capital and real estate activities.

For more information contact:
Jon Horner
Community President
417 847-4111

Susan Kirkman
Regional Marketing Manager
417 837-5333

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

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