Jeff L. Barnes

Mr. Barnes is the newest member of Meriwest’s Executive Management Team, leading the Consumer Lending, Business Lending and Loan Collections groups for the credit union. He also serves as the Chairman of the Board of Meriwest Mortgage Company. With over 31 years of experience in banks and credit unions, serving in senior management roles, Mr. Barnes brings a wealth of knowledge to numerous areas of the Credit Union.

Mr. Barnes was the President of Liberty Savings Bank for many years. He also served as SVP & Chief Lending Officer of Summit Bank & Trust, and SVP of Lending at Bellco Credit Union. He is also a nationally known speaker on credit union topics such as commercial and small business lending, and loan participation purchasing and selling (CUNA Lending Council).

Mr. Barnes started out early in his career as a retail branch manager, before working in and managing a mortgage department. Subsequently, he earned his license and worked in wealth management for a number of years. He then focused on commercial lending, before joining the senior management teams of regional and national banking chains.

For many years, Mr. Barnes served as President of the Superior Chamber of Commerce in addition to serving on numerous charity Boards of Directors, including the Louisville Library Foundation, the Kid’s Pages Foundation and the Boulder County Private Industry Council. He received his Bachelor’s degree in Political Science from the University of Colorado.