Kristina Schaefer and David D. Nelson Elected to SDBA Board of Directors
- Kristina Schaefer, General Counsel & Director of Risk Management, First Bank & Trust, Sioux Falls
- David D. Nelson, Sr. Vice President & Branch Manager, First Fidelity Bank, Platte
Schaefer and Nelson began their three-year directorships on May 1. This is their first term on the SDBA Board of Directors.
Kristina Schaefer:
Kristina Schaefer serves as general counsel and director of risk management for Fishback Financial Corporation (FFC)/First Bank & Trust in Sioux Falls. As the primary legal resource for the organization, Schaefer provides advice and counsel on all legal matters, including lending transactions, payment systems issues, contracts and corporate governance. In addition, Schaefer oversees the compliance, fraud, BSA/AML, and third-party oversight functions, and serves on the governing policy body for FFC. During the past eight years, she has also held the titles of general and corporate counsel. Prior to joining FFC, Schaefer worked as an attorney in a private practice where she specialized in banking law and general corporate law. Before attending law school, she was employed at First Bank & Trust and worked in customer service and risk management. Schaefer currently serves on the SDBA Legislative Committee, which she has chaired, and the American Bankers Association (ABA) Regional Bank General Counsels Group and the ABA Cyber and Information Security Working Group.
Schaefer regularly coaches Girls on the Run and volunteers at John Harris Elementary School in Sioux Falls. She also serves as a mentor to two young girls as part of the LSS School Based Mentoring Program and is active in its Everyday Heroes Recruitment Campaign and Advisory Committee. She was also a member of South Dakota’s Elder Abuse Prevention Task Force.
Schaefer and her husband, Scott, have two daughters: Olivia (9) and Harper (3).
“Serving the industry is important to me,” Schaefer said. “I would also like to use my specialized knowledge in areas like compliance, fraud and legal to advocate for banks in those areas.”
David D. Nelson:
David D. Nelson serves as a senior vice president at First Fidelity Bank and manager of its Platte branch. He is also the bank’s investment officer, a member of the executive loan committee and a member of its board of directors. Nelson has a bachelor of science degree in business administration and a master of business administration from the University of South Dakota and has attended the Graduate School of Banking—Wisconsin. He has his Series 7, 63 and 65 national securities licenses. Nelson previously worked as an investment representative for American Express before joining First Fidelity Bank in 1995. He has also served on the SDBA Legislative Committee, which he has chaired.
Nelson currently serves on the board and is past president of the Platte Development Corporation. He is also on the Platte Area Foundation Board. Previously, Nelson served on the Platte Chamber of Commerce Board, St. Peter’s Catholic Church Council and the Platte Black Panther Booster Club Board. He is a member of St. Peter’s Catholic Church and the Knights of Columbus.
Nelson and his wife, Bernadette, have been married for 37 years. They have three grown daughters: Briana (Nathan) Kraayenbrink, Chelsey (Nick) Kortan, and Megan (Heath) Kuipers. They also have six grandchildren.
Nelson’s goal as an SDBA Board Member is “to continue to be an advocate for the banking industry. More bankers need to become involved to help promote the banking industry to let lawmakers and regulators know that our industry is important to us as bankers, our customers and our communities. We also need to continue to advocate for relief from regulatory burdens and to provide a level playing field to ensure the continued viability of our community banks.”
Through the SDBA, hundreds of South Dakota bankers volunteer each year to serve on SDBA boards, committees and task forces to educate the state’s consumers and promote financial literacy.