Fred L. Drake serves as Executive Chairman of the board for both the Company and of Heartland Bank. He has served as Chairman since 2006 and been a director of the Company since 1984 and a director of Heartland Bank since 1982. Mr. Drake is Executive Chairman of the Company and Heartland Bank and provides leadership in all facets, including overall strategy, growth, and acquisitions. Mr. Drake became an officer of Heartland Bank in 1983 and served as the Company's Chief Executive Officer until May 2023. He also served as our President from 1998 to August 2019. In 1992, as President of Heartland Bank, he led our entry into the Bloomington-Normal market, one of the Bank s most successful initiatives, setting the tone for the Company s organic growth in the 1990s and early 2000s. Mr. Drake received a BS in Finance and an MBA, both from the University of Illinois. Mr. Drake serves as a director for his leadership in all facets of our company, including overall strategy, organic growth and acquisitions, overall experience in the banking industry and his knowledge of the Company gained during his tenure with us.