Denali State Bank Appoints New CEO

FAIRBANKS, ALASKA— Denali State Bank is pleased to announce that Ryan Strong has been selected as President and CEO to succeed current President and CEO, Steve Lundgren, upon his retirement in January 2026. Strong joins Denali State Bank with over 25 years of financial industry experience, most recently as the Chief Banking Officer at First National Bank Alaska. Strong will be relocating from Anchorage back to Fairbanks where he previously lived and earned his MBA from the University of Alaska Fairbanks. Lundgren states, “I’ve known Ryan for many years and I’m pleased to welcome him to the Denali State Bank family.”

Lundgren has served as President and CEO since 2011. During Lundgren’s tenure, Denali State Bank has grown from $260 million to over $530 million in assets. Net income has grown from $1.9 million to over $8 million, and dividends grew from $.15 to $.85 per share. Denali State Bank reported the highest return-on-assets of all banks operating in Alaska over the last two years, and their outstanding performance has been recognized by Newsweek, Forbes, and Standard & Poor’s.

Lundgren states, “although Denali State Bank’s financial performance has been notable, I’m most proud of our staff for being recognized by the Fairbanks Daily New Miner Readers’ Choice Awards as the #1 Best Bank in Fairbanks for the last three years. With Ryan at the helm, the Bank is well positioned to continue these financial and customer service successes for years to come.”

Please contact Chief Administrative Officer and Senior Vice President, Victoria Denning, for any questions.