ABA Recognizes Excellence in Agricultural Finance with 2026 Bruning and Blanchfield Awards

The American Bankers Association today announced the recipients of its highly regarded Bruning and Blanchfield Awards, the association's premier awards presented annually for significant contributions to agricultural banking. ABA will honor Nathan Franzén, president of the Ag Banking Division at First Dakota National Bank in Yankton, S.D., with the Bruning Award and Doug Lund, retired agricultural loan specialist with the USDA Farm Service Agency in Mount Horeb, Wis., with the Blanchfield Award. The awards will be presented at the ABA Agricultural Bankers Conference, Nov. 4-6 in Minneapolis.
 
Bruning Award

Nathan Franzén serves as president of the Ag Banking Division at First Dakota National Bank, where he leads one of the nation’s largest agricultural banking operations and oversees a team serving more than $1.7 billion in agricultural loans to farmers and ranchers. 

The ABA Bruning Award recognizes agricultural bankers whose careers reflect exceptional leadership and commitment to providing credit and financial guidance to America's farmers and ranchers. The award is named in honor of its first recipient, Nebraska banker Frank Bruning.

“I am deeply honored to join the distinguished group of agricultural bankers who have been recognized before me,” said Franzén. “Throughout my career, I have been fortunate to work alongside dedicated farmers, ranchers and banking professionals who care deeply about the future of rural America. Any success I have achieved is the result of the relationships, mentorship and teamwork that have shaped my journey.”

With more than 32 years of agricultural banking experience, Franzén has distinguished himself as an industry leader at the state, national and international levels. Raised on a diversified dairy, grain and beef cattle operation in northeast South Dakota, he has combined firsthand agricultural experience with a lifelong commitment to rural America. 

Under Franzén’s leadership, First Dakota’s Ag Banking Division has developed innovative programs and services that support agricultural producers, including Landera Ag Finance, the AgriVisions Emerging Farmer & Rancher Program and Keep Farmers Farming, an estate and transition planning initiative. First Dakota also became the first Preferred Lender in the nation with USDA’s Farm Service Agency.  

Franzén has played a significant leadership role within ABA and the broader agricultural banking community. He served as chairman of ABA’s Agriculture and Rural Bankers Committee and has testified before Congress on issues affecting agricultural lending. His expertise has also been recognized internationally through participation in the World Bank’s International Financing Agriculture Forum and related agricultural banking initiatives. 

Today, Franzén serves as chairman of the South Dakota Bankers Association and chairman of the South Dakota Agricultural Foundation while continuing to advocate for the future of agricultural banking and rural economic development.

Blanchfield Award

Doug Lund is a retired agricultural loan specialist with the USDA Farm Service Agency whose career spans more than 40 years of advancing agricultural lending opportunities and strengthening partnerships between lenders and government lending programs. 

The ABA Blanchfield Award, named in honor of former senior vice president of ABA's Center for Agricultural and Rural Banking John Blanchfield, recognizes the contributions of a non-banker who has made significant contributions to the advancement of agricultural lending.

“I share this honor with the many colleagues, bankers and agricultural leaders who worked together to expand opportunities for rural communities across the country,” Lund said. “For more than four decades, I had the privilege of working with lenders who were committed to helping farmers and ranchers succeed. The relationships built through USDA’s guaranteed lending programs were the most rewarding part of my career.”

Lund’s involvement with Farm Service Agency guaranteed lending began in the early 1980s when USDA guarantees were first introduced. Throughout his career, he helped guide the development and expansion of guaranteed lending programs while navigating the changing needs of agricultural producers, lenders and rural communities.

Lund was a strong advocate for the Farm Service Agency’s Preferred Lender Program and played an important role in encouraging its growth and development. Throughout his career, he worked to make federal lending programs more accessible and effective for agricultural lenders and the farmers and ranchers they serve. 

A frequent presenter and longtime participant at ABA Agricultural Bankers Conference events, Lund has shared his expertise with countless agricultural bankers and lending professionals.
Widely respected throughout the agricultural lending community, Lund became known for his collaborative leadership and commitment to strengthening partnerships among lenders and government agencies. His influence helped shape agricultural lending programs and practices well beyond Wisconsin.

*** NOTE TO EDITORS: Reporters enjoy complimentary access to the ABA Agricultural Bankers Conference in Minneapolis, Nov. 4-6. View the full program and contact Sarah Grano ([email protected]) to register.
 
About the American Bankers Association
The American Bankers Association is the voice of the nation’s $26.5 trillion banking industry, which is composed of small, regional and large banks that together employ over 2 million people, safeguard $20.7 trillion in deposits and extend $13.9 trillion in loans.

About the Bruning Award
Since 1997, the Bruning Award, named after its first recipient, Nebraska banker Frank Bruning, recognizes bankers that demonstrate outstanding leadership and dedicated service to providing credit and guidance to farmers, ranchers and their fellow agricultural bankers.
 
About the Blanchfield Award
Established in 2015 in honor of John Blanchfield, former senior vice president of ABA’s Center for Agricultural and Rural Banking, the Blanchfield Award recognizes agricultural professionals who have made significant contributions to the advancement of agricultural lending.