Paul M. Baker was Chairman of the Board of Directors and Chief Executive Officer of Great Financial Bank and the Bank’s holding company, Great Financial Corporation prior to their merger with Star Bank (now U. S. Bank) effective February 1998. At the time of its sale to Star Bank, Great Financial was the largest independent bank in the Commonwealth of Kentucky, having $3 billion in assets, over 1,000 employees, and forty-five (45) offices located throughout the Commonwealth. Mr. Baker served as a Director of Star Bank and its holding company, Star Banc Corporation form 1998 thru 2001. During that period he additionally served the bank as a consultant in it’s entry into the Kentucky market.
Mr. Baker was associated with Great Financial since 1982, when he was named General Counsel. From 1982 to 1992, Mr. Baker oversaw the general corporate and banking legal needs of both Great Financial and its subsidiary, Lincoln Service Corporation, and additionally served as an advisory director to Lincoln. In January 1992, he was appointed President of Great Financial and elected to its board of directors as well as to the boards of Lincoln Service Corporation and Great Financial Services, Inc., a wholly-owned subsidiary. In January 1993, he was also named Chief Executive Officer of the organization.
In early 1994, Great Financial members voted to convert to a federally-chartered stock form of organization and shares began trading on the NASDAQ National Market, under the trading symbol GTFN, on March 31, 1994. Great Financial Corporation was formed as the bank’s holding company in connection with the conversion. Mr. Baker retained his title of President and Chief Executive Officer of the bank and in January 1995, he was named to the additional position of Chairman of the Board.
Prior to his involvement with Great Financial, Mr. Baker practiced corporate and banking law with the firm of Olson & Baker from 1974 to 1982. He graduated in 1968 from Western Kentucky University, Bowling Green, with a bachelor’s degree in business administration and accounting. In 1972, he graduated cum laude from the University of Louisville School of Law. While in law school, he received the West Publishing Company Award for highest scholastic average in his class and was elected to the University of Louisville Chapter of Phi Kappa Phi National Honor Society. Mr. Baker is a Distinguished Alumnus of the Brandeis School of Law at the University of Louisville. Mr. Baker also holds a degree from the University of Wisconsin Graduate School of Banking.
Mr. Baker has practiced Corporate, Banking and Real Estate law with the firm of Lynch, Cox, Gilman and Goodman, since 1998. He continues his practice in those areas today.
Mr. Baker has served on the board of directors of Spalding University, the Kentucky Bankers Association, the Downtown Development Corporation and the Fund for the Arts. He is a member of the American, Kentucky and Louisville Bar Associations.
