HBT Financial, Inc., the holding company for Heartland Bank and Trust Company, announced that Patrick F. Busch, Executive Vice President and Chief Lending Officer of the Company and President and Chief Lending Officer of Heartland Bank, will step down from these roles on Dec. 31, 2022. Busch will remain with Heartland Bank, serving in the newly created position of Vice Chairman where he will continue to be involved in business development. Busch will also remain a member of both the Company and Heartland Bank boards of directors. J. Lance Carter, President and Chief Operating Officer of the Company and Chief Operating Officer of Heartland Bank, will assume the additional title of President of Heartland Bank, effective Jan. 1, 2023. Lawrence J. Horvath, currently Executive Vice President and Regional Senior Lending Manager of Heartland Bank, has been named Executive Vice President and Chief Lending Officer of the Company and Heartland Bank, effective Jan. 1, 2023.

Fred L. Drake, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of the Company, commented, “Pat Busch has been an integral part of the success of the Company and Heartland Bank since 1995. On behalf of the entire Company, I would like to thank him for the valuable role he’s played in the significant growth of the Company, and for his leadership in helping create the strong lending culture that has served as the foundation of our franchise. In his new role as Vice Chairman, Pat will continue to develop strong commercial lending relationships in our northern Illinois markets. Larry Horvath will be a strong successor to Pat as our new Chief Lending Officer and will carry on the conservative credit culture that has resulted in the Company being a high performing bank.”

Horvath joined Heartland Bank in 2010 and currently oversees commercial lending for all Heartland Bank markets outside Cook County and the Chicago Suburban area, as well as treasury management services. Horvath’s 37 years of banking experience include commercial lending and credit review, mergers and acquisitions, market leadership, and serving as President and CEO of a Bloomington, IL community bank. He is active in the Bloomington, IL community serving on boards of various local organizations. In addition, he currently serves on the board of the Illinois Bankers Association, is on the loan committee for the largest community development corporation in the state and is also Heartland Bank’s representative serving on the board for the Illinois Real Estate Title Center. Horvath holds a BS in Finance from Western Illinois University.