Nebraska Banker Receives ABA Distinguished Service Award for Risk and Compliance

Krysti Cunningham, chief risk officer for Security National Bank of Omaha is the recipient of the 2025 American Bankers Association’ Distinguished Service Award for Risk and Compliance, the association announced today. The award, which recognizes leadership, initiative and accomplishment in banking risk and compliance management, as well as volunteer service through ABA, was presented during ABA’s Risk and Compliance Conference in Indianapolis.

“We are proud to recognize Krysti as this year’s Distinguished Service Award winner for risk and compliance,” said Ginny O’Neill, ABA’s executive vice president for regulatory compliance and policy. “Her extensive industry experience, along with her commitment to helping others attain the highest standards of compliance and risk management, make this a well-deserved recognition.” 

“ABA’s Distinguished Service Award honors those who have achieved excellence in the risk and compliance space, and Krysti certainly fits that bill,” said Ryan Rasske, ABA’s senior vice president of risk and customer markets. “Her impressive career serves as a great example for the rest of our industry, and we look forward to her continued strong contributions going forward.” 

Cunningham, who currently leads the Enterprise Risk Management function at Security National Bank of Omaha, has more than three decades of comprehensive banking industry experience. Throughout her career, she has worked at both community and mid-size banks, leading, strengthening and managing a wide range of functions including, risk and compliance management, financial crimes, information security and business continuity, third-party risk management, data center management and internal audit.  

Cunningham serves on the ABA Risk and Compliance Conference Advisory Board, has been a frequent speaker at this conference and others, and is a member of the Nebraska Bankers Association Board of Directors. She is also a former member of the Advisory Committee for the Kansas/Nebraska Schools of Banking compliance and operational schools. A Colorado School of Banking graduate, Cunningham also holds several certifications, including Certified Enterprise Risk Professional (CERP), Certified Regulatory Compliance Manager (CRCM), and Certified Anti-Money Laundering Specialist (CAMS).