Steve Meads, president of Bremer Bank's 29 Twin Cities locations, announced Friday that he plans to leave the company in mid-September to pursue his goal of helping to lead and grow a young company.

“For the past three years, I've focused exclusively on the goal of making Bremer the number one business bank in the Twin Cities,” Meads, who has been with the bank for almost 20 years and in his current position for the past 12, said in a statement. “With the worst of the recession behind us, and given the progress we've made in sales, service, and revenue growth, now is an opportune time for me to pursue my next career goal.”

A Bremer news release didn't provide further details and Bremer spokeswoman Susan Beatty couldn't confirm Meads' specific plans, but the Pioneer Press reported that he will remain in the Twin Cities and become president of Illinois-based MidCountry Bank, which is hoping to grow locally.

Meanwhile, Bremer has appointed Kevin Powers as interim Twin Cities president. Powers, who joined the company in 1991, now serves as group president of Bremer Bank's west region. In 1996, Powers led Bremer's entry into the Fargo marketplace with a branch that has since grown into a banking hub with $1.5 billion in assets and more than 200 employees.

Beatty couldn't confirm whether the bank will search for a permanent replacement for Meads, but the press release said that “Bremer has a strong management team in place to assume expanded responsibilities after Meads' departure from the company” and that the bank's senior leadership is “examining its organizational structure.”

Bremer Bank, which has more than 300 Twin Cities employees, operates under Bremer Financial Corporation-a St. Paul-based company that has $7.6 billion in assets. It provides banking, investment, trust, and insurance services at banking locations in Minnesota, North Dakota, and Wisconsin.