Mr. Palmer is a co-founder of PL Capital, LLC. Prior to co-founding PL Capital in 1996, Mr. Palmer was employed by KPMG LLP, an international public accounting firm, from 1983 to 1996. While at KPMG, Mr. Palmer specialized in assurance and strategic advisory services to companies in the commercial banking, consumer finance, thrift, mortgage banking, and discount brokerage industries. He has extensive experience in merger and acquisition transactions, public and private securities offerings, filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), and regulatory issues. In addition, he has advised numerous banking organizations regarding their strategic alternatives, including M&A, mergers of equals, and opportunities to enhance or expand existing lines of business. In 1993, Mr. Palmer became a Director of KPMG Financial Services – Capital Strategies Group, a national corporate finance practice providing financial service companies with merger and acquisition advisory services.

Mr. Palmer also instructed financial institutions classes for KPMG. In addition, he has been a guest speaker at numerous corporate governance and banking industry conferences. Mr. Palmer has been designated as a “financial expert,” as defined by the Sarbanes Oxley Act, for members of audit committees of boards of directors of publicly held companies.

Mr. Palmer is currently a member of the Board of Directors of BNCCorp. Inc., a publicly traded $1 billion in assets bank holding company which is the parent holding company of BNC National Bank, located in Bismarck, North Dakota, operating 12 branches throughout North Dakota and Arizona. Mr. Palmer is Chairman of the Compensation Committee and serves on the Nominating and Corporate Governance and the Strategic Planning Committee.

Mr. Palmer was formerly a member of the Board of Directors of:
BankFinancial Corporation, a publicly traded $1.6 billion in assets thrift holding company, is the parent holding company of BankFinancial, FSB, located in Olympia Fields, Illinois, which operates 19 branches throughout Chicago, Illinois.

HF Financial Corp. is a publicly traded $1.2 billion in assets thrift holding company, the parent holding company of Home Federal Bank, located in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, which operates 28 branches throughout South Dakota and Minneapolis, Minnesota.

Mr. Palmer served on the Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee, the Personnel, Compensation and Benefits Committee, and the Risk Committee, which he served as Chairman.

Security Financial Bancorp, Inc., a publicly traded $200 million in assets thrift located in St. John, Indiana, where he served as Chairman of the Board of Directors.

Franklin Bancorp and its wholly owned subsidiary, Franklin Bank, NA, a publicly traded $700 million in assets commercial bank located in Southfield, Michigan, where he served on the Audit, Compensation, and Loan Committees. Mr. Palmer also served as Chairman of the Strategic Planning Committee. He also served as the Co-lead independent disinterested director for a special investigation committee of the Board.

CFS Bancorp, Inc., the parent holding company of Citizens Financial Bank, a publicly traded $1.2 billion asset federal savings bank that operates 22 offices throughout adjoining markets in Chicagoland and Northwest Indiana. Mr. Palmer was a member of CFS Bancorp’s audit committee and a member of the Strategic Planning Committee.

Clever Ideas, Inc., a privately held specialty finance company located in Chicago, Illinois.
Mr. Palmer is a past member of the Board of Directors for the Victory Gardens Theater in Chicago, where he served as President of the Board for four years. As President, Mr. Palmer oversaw the purchase of the Biograph Theater in Chicago and its re-development into a state-of-the-art live performance theater. Mr. Palmer also oversaw the Capital Campaign for the renovation of the theater, which raised $11 million.

Additionally, Mr. Palmer served on the Board of the River Run Club, a community swim and tennis club.

On the Board, he served as Treasurer.

He also previously served as a member of the Founders Society of the Detroit Institute of Arts and as Chairman of the Professional Outreach Program at the art institute. He is a past member of the Membership Committee of the Board of Trustees. He is the past secretary and Treasurer of the Intermediate Council for the Detroit Athletic Club. Additionally, he has served as Chairman of the Walsh College Fundraising Drive.

Mr. Palmer obtained his Bachelor of Accounting Degree from Walsh College. He formerly practiced as a Certified Public Accountant in Michigan and Illinois and is currently a member of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants and the Florida CPA Society.