Press Releases
Feb 17, 2022
First Nationwide leaders advance to new roles
Financial institution president Doug Longacre retires after greater than 47 years of service
ANCHORAGE – After practically 5 a long time of devoted service within the monetary trade, First Nationwide Financial institution Alaska President Doug Longacre retired from the biggest Alaskan-owned and -operated group financial institution efficient February 6.
Longacre served as President since 2018, overseeing the general administration of lending and loan-related features and department operations. Longacre will proceed to function a First Nationwide Board Member.
It has been my honor to assist my fellow Alaskans succeed within the Nice Land for the previous 47 years, and I sit up for persevering with to signify them on the financial institution’s Board of Administrators,” Longacre mentioned. “Once I first joined the financial institution as a Administration Trainee, my ambition at the moment was to grow to be a Department Supervisor and signify the financial institution in a smaller group in Alaska. I actually did not assume I’d find yourself serving as financial institution President. It has been an journey of a lifetime.”
With Longacre’s departure, First Nationwide’s Board of Administrators confirmed Betsy Lawer as Board Chair and CEO and appointed her President. As a third-generation Alaskan banker, Lawer grew up with lots of Alaska’s enterprise and group leaders. She realized the banking enterprise actually at her father’s knee, earned her economics diploma from Duke College, and returned in 1974 to work her approach as much as the management place she holds as we speak.
Doug has been an unbelievable enterprise accomplice, reliable sounding board, and a beautiful pal for nearly fifty years,” mentioned Lawer. “I communicate for the whole First Nationwide household after I say we want him the fondest farewell into his retirement, and we all know he’ll proceed to assist his fellow Alaskans form tomorrow within the years to return.”
Along with Lawer, three govt leaders have been promoted and awarded new officer titles by the financial institution’s Board of Administrators. Every of those three officers assume a portion of the duties previously carried out by Longacre:
Chief Industrial Lending Officer Darren Franz was promoted to Chief Credit score Officer and appointed Senior Govt Officer. Franz will oversee First Nationwide’s Lending Division, together with the Mixed Department, Company Lending, Central Mortgage Processing and Company Providers departments and the Specialty Lending Unit. Throughout his profession, Franz has efficiently overseen the administration of retail and enterprise banking in 16 completely different Alaska communities with broad geographic, financial and cultural variety. He holds a bachelor’s diploma in finance and economics and is a graduate of the famend Pacific Coast Banking Faculty.
Chief Administrative Officer Cheri Gillian was appointed Senior Govt Officer. Gillian will oversee the Central Administration Division, together with the financial institution’s Company Communication & Buyer Expertise, Human Assets and Audit departments, and the Wealth Administration Part. An Alaskan for 50-plus years, Gillian has spent practically 35 of these years constructing First Nationwide’s model and serving to form the financial institution’s distinctive office tradition; one acknowledged for six years in a row because the “Greatest Place to Work in Alaska.” Gillian helped formalize the financial institution’s relationship administration program, facilitates the financial institution’s strategic planning actions, supplies administrative oversight for bankwide initiatives, and serves as Board Secretary.
Chief Banking Officer Ryan Sturdy was appointed Senior Govt Officer. Sturdy will oversee the financial institution’s Retail Banking and Treasury Administration Division, together with the Treasury Administration & Anchorage Department Administration and Mortgage Lending departments, Escrow Unit and the Mortgage Servicing Part. Sturdy assumes elevated administrative duties, together with some previously carried out by the President. Sturdy leverages greater than 20 years of hands-on banking expertise and detailed data of Alaska’s financial system in his function. He’s Co-Chair of the financial institution’s COVID-19 Emergency Response Group, liable for creating and implementing First Nationwide’s response to the pandemic disaster. He holds a bachelor’s diploma in finance from the College of Notre Dame and an M.B.A. from the College of Alaska Fairbanks.
These adjustments come as First Nationwide celebrates 100 years of shaping a brighter tomorrow for all Alaskans. First Nationwide opened Jan. 30, 1922, and continues to thrive a century later.
Alaskan-owned and -operated since 1922, First Nationwide proudly marks its a hundredth 12 months of assembly the monetary wants of Alaskans. In 2021, Alaska Enterprise readers voted the financial institution the “Better of Alaska Enterprise” within the Greatest Place to Work class for the sixth 12 months in a row, Greatest Company Citizen for a 3rd 12 months, and Greatest Financial institution/Credit score Union. The identical 12 months, American Banker acknowledged First Nationwide as a “Greatest Financial institution to Work For” for the fourth 12 months in a row, and Anchorage Each day Information readers voted the financial institution one of many state’s high three monetary establishments for the third 12 months in a row within the ADN “Better of Alaska” Awards.
Go to FNBAlaska.com for extra details about Alaska’s largest domestically owned financial institution and entry to environment friendly and safe on-line banking providers. First Nationwide Financial institution Alaska is a Member FDIC and Equal Housing Lender.
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