Commerce Bank Selects Next Mortgage President From Within

Posted February 1, 2024

Commerce Bank has appointed a veteran employee mortgage president at Commerce Bank to lead the bank’s mortgage and home equity lending business.

Effective January 1, 2024, Ann Marie Prohaska became the mortgage president at Commerce Bank, according to a release Wednesday.

Prohaska brings 30 years of mortgage experience to her new role, 20 of those years have been with Commerce Bank. Before her new role, Prohaska was responsible for credit functions across the mortgage and home equity products and has experience in sales, operations and secondary marketing in the real estate sector.

Ann Marie Prohaska, Mortgage President at Commerce Bank. Photo Credit: Commerce Bank

Prohaska succeeds Jeff Gerner, who will continue his time at the bank as chairman of real estate lending, until his retirement in December. Gerner has been with Commerce Bank for more than 38 years, serving as president of real estate lending for 10 years.

“Ann Marie is a strategic and creative leader whose contributions to our team through the mortgage industry’s many volume and credit cycles have been invaluable,” Gerner said. “Her deep experience, commitment to our culture, our team and our strategy, and the amazing leadership shadow she casts perfectly position her to lead our team forward.”

She graduated from Eastern Michigan University where she earned degrees in business administration and marketing.

“He has been an incredible mentor to so many at the bank, including Ann Marie, and his guidance through this transition sets this team up for success,” executive director of consumer segment and strategic services, Paula Petersen said in the release.

Commerce Bank was recently recognized in Ingram’s 2023 Corporate Champions for its philanthropic contribution to the community.