Darren Franz to succeed Betsy Lawer as First National Bank Alaska CEO in January

First National Bank Alaska's board unanimously appointed Darren Franz to succeed Betsy Lawer as CEO and president, the Anchorage-based bank announced Oct. 7. The change takes effect Jan. 2, 2027.

Lawer, who has been board chair and CEO since 2015, will become executive chair of the board. She will step away from day-to-day management but continue "providing strategic guidance and governance leadership," the bank said.

Under Lawer, the bank grew from $3.5 billion to more than $5.1 billion in assets. Founded in 1922, it has 28 locations in 19 Alaska communities.

Franz will run the bank's operations and its executive leadership team. He is a director and currently president of lending and administration, overseeing corporate lending, treasury management and several administrative divisions. The bank says he has more than three decades of Alaska banking experience, nearly seven of them at First National.

Lawer said Franz is well prepared to lead the bank into its next phase.

Three other executives take new roles the same day: Steve Patin becomes chief operating officer, Karl Heinz becomes chief branch administration officer and Denise Brown Robinson becomes executive vice president and senior administrative director.