Dan Simons, president of the Electronics Division of The World Company, Lawrence, has joined the board of directors for St. Louis-based Commerce Bancshares Inc.

David W. Kemper, Commerce chairman and chief executive officer, announced Friday that Simons had been elected to serve on the $15.5 billion regional bank holding company’s 12-member board.

Simons takes over as a director for Seth Leadbeater, who remains vice chairman of the company.

“The World Company is one of the leading independent media companies in the country,” Kemper said in a statement. “Dan will bring a wealth of experience in both digital and print media to our financial service business.”

Among The World Company’s media operations are Sunflower Broadband, which offers cable television, telephone and Internet service; the Journal-World; and eight weekly newspapers in northeast Kansas.

Commerce Bancshares is the holding company for Commerce Bank, and also has operating subsidiaries involved in mortgage banking, credit-related insurance, venture capital and real estate activities.