MARK HEIDER NAMED COMMUNITY BANK PRESIDENT, COMMERCE BANK

LAWRENCE, KS - December 15, 2003 -Mark Heider, 26-year industry veteran, has been named President and Market Manager of the Lawrence Region for Commerce Bank. In his position, Heider will have responsibility for overseeing the commercial and retail business for the entire Lawrence market.

"We are very fortunate to have a team member of Mark's quality to lead Commerce Bank in our Lawrence region," said Jay Reardon, Vice Chairman, Commerce Bank, Kansas City. "He brings to the position a proven track record of business development and customer service."

Heider joined Commerce Bank in 1994 as a Vice President in the Mortgage division, where he was responsible for management of the Commerce Home Loan Originators in all markets. Before joining Commerce Bank, Heider was with The Bank of Kansas in Lawrence as Vice President of Mortgage Lending. He also served as Assistant Vice President of Mortgage Lending at Lawrence National Bank.

Heider has been a Lawrence resident for 16 years. "This is the position of a lifetime for me," said Heider. "I am very lucky to be able to further my career here with my family, friends and in my own community with such a great organization. Commerce Bank offers a wide array of services for individuals, families and businesses and our team of Commerce Bankers stands ready to solve the financial needs of our customers." Currently Heider and his wife Chris have two children attending the University of Kansas, Matt and Stephani, and their youngest daughter Sarah attends Lawrence Free State High School.

Heider received his Bachelor's degree from the University of Kansas. He also holds a Master of Business Administration degree from Northwest Missouri State University.

About Commerce Bank
Commerce Bank is the principal subsidiary of Commerce Bancshares Inc. (NASDAQ: CBSH), a $13.6 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 operates across three states with more than 330 locations and also has operating subsidiaries involved in mortgage banking, credit related insurance, venture capital and real estate activities.

For more information contact:
Jill Swords
Regional Marketing Representative
816-234-2308

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

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