James Johnson, president and CEO of PCSB Bank, has been appointed to be the next superintendent of banking in the Iowa Department of Insurance and Financial Services, according to a news release from Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds’ office.

Reynolds announced Johnson’s selection Monday for the four-year term, which will start Jan. 1, pending confirmation by the Iowa Senate.

He will replace Jeff Plagge, who previously announced his plan to retire at the end of the year. Plagge has served as the state’s superintendent of banking since September 2019.

“James is a proven leader with a wealth of knowledge and experience in the banking industry that was forged in rural Iowa,” Reynolds said in a prepared statement. “His forward-thinking nature will serve him and the industry well as he protects the interests of those doing business with Iowa banks and other consumer lenders.”

Iowa’s superintendent of banking has general control, supervision and regulatory authority over the state’s bank, finance and the professional licensing and regulation bureaus under the Iowa Code.

Johnson has been with the Clarinda-based, family-owned PCSB Bank in various roles since 2000, according to the release. He served on the board of the Iowa Bankers Association and chaired the group’s Agriculture Committee. Johnson has a graduate degree from the Graduate School of Banking at the University of Colorado-Boulder.

“Iowa’s banks play a pivotal role in the communities they serve and Iowa’s overall economy,” Johnson said in a prepared statement. “I look forward to serving the people of Iowa in this important role.”