Vice President & Portfolio Manager, Central Trust Company

This year, Jefferson City Magazine recognizes 10 Ones To Watch—a group of up-and-comers who are not only high-character individuals, but who also have achieved things that have bettered the community. This group inspires through faith, drive, and dedication, and they have shown effective leadership in both their professional and personal involvements.

Jefferson City’s sense of community moved Greg Phillips, vice president and portfolio manager at Central Trust Company, to give back.

My name is Greg Phillips. Son to Lisa (Stock) Brunk and the late Troy Phillips. Brother to Amanda (Phillips) Larson. Husband to Mindy (Dettenwanger) Phillips. Father to Carleigh Phillips. I grew up on a few acres in Foristel land attended public school a few miles east in Wentzville — home of the Indians! Growing up, my parents continually stressed the importance of hard work and education in our household. Expectations were high, but reasonable. My sister and I had to maintain certain grade point averages in school and participated in some degree of extracurricular activities. For me, that translated to sports. I played many sports growing up: soccer, baseball, basketball, ice hockey, golf, etc. Regardless of the sport I was playing, I always wanted to win. I think my will to win was derived from a desire to make my parents proud of me. I wanted to meet and exceed their expectations.

When we became of age, my parents pushed my sister and I to get part-time jobs. By this time, I had given up all team sports and I was golfer — a pretty darn good one. So, on my 15th birthday, I started working at BearCreek Golf Club in Wentzville. Life from that point forward primarily consisted of work, school, and golf. My grades, my job at the golf course (where I could play and practice for free), and athletic ability eventually resulted in a collegiate golf scholarship to Lindenwood University — home of the Lions.

The golf, work, and school cycle continued until another variable was added to the mix during my sophomore year of college — Mindy. I guess my priorities were starting to change. Mindy and I met through my sister, and Mindy is the reason that we now live in Jefferson City. After we both finished our graduate degrees (in the St. Louis area) she was offered a position at SSM Health Pediatrics (where she did her clinical hours). It was a great opportunity, so we packed up our things and moved to Jefferson City in late 2017 and were married in August of 2018. Regrettably, I lost my dad to pancreatic cancer in April of that same year, and my life changed forever.

We’ve lived in Jefferson City for nearly five years now. A lot has happened in that short amount of time. The biggest change for us has been parenthood. Mindy and I were blessed with a daughter in November 2021. To this day, I attribute many of my achievements, milestones, accolades, or whatever you want to call them, to my parents (and grandparents) and their high expectations. I still have that desire to win and make them proud, but my definition of winning has changed over the years. Winning for me looks like working hard (serving the public/my clients) to support my family, parenting with my wife as we watch our family grow, volunteering in this community that we now call home, and spending as much time as possible making memories with family and friends.

ON GRATITUDE
It may sound cliché, but I am most grateful for my family. My family provides an unwavering amount of love, laughter, support, sympathy, and motivation. From childhood fun to family holidays, we share some of the best memories.

ON COMMUNITY
I currently serve as a board member for Capital City CASA (Court Appointed Special Advocates) and The Sneaker Project. Both organizations are tailored toward helping children who are in need– at no fault of their own. I am also a member of Jefferson City Young Professionals group. The organizations in this town make it a priority to encourage folks to give back and support those in need. The sense of community is overwhelming. It was obvious tome as soon as we moved here, and it was made even more obvious during my job interviews at Central Bank. I hadn’t considered serving on boards or volunteering at nonprofit organizations before I moved to here. This community changed my mind and I look forward to utilizing my experience and professional skills to help where I can.

FAVORITE PLACE IN JCMO
JQ’s on High / Jefferson City Country Club

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