Independent Banker - April 2024 - 71

CONNECTIONS POWERING POTENTIAL
Q&A: Lisa Cronk
In the first of our new Powering Potential series, we meet Lisa C. Cronk, the
compliance and audit control officer at Lake Elmo Bank in Minneapolis. With
more than 25 years of banking experience, Lisa has woven her way through
the intricate tapestry of financial compliance. Here, she reflects on her
professional journey, the key aspects of her job and how she has used ICBA
Education services and certifications to progress.
Interview by Caitlin Billings
Q: How did you get started in
community banking?
A: I fell into banking. I was looking
for something closer to home rather
than commuting into the city. That
was over 25 years ago-it's been
an adventure where I've learned
something new every day since.
Q: Take us through a typical
workday for you.
A: I don't know that I have a " typical "
day, other than the hours I'm in
the building. Each day can bring
something new to my desk.
Q: Can you share a challenge
you're working to solve?
A: The big compliance challenges we
currently face regarding how to meet
the requirements of Section 1071
without impacting our customers and
the changes to CRA. From an internal
audit standpoint, another challenge is
meeting the financial statement audit
requirements and testing controls.
Q: What advice do you have for
others in your role?
A: Don't take things personally
and assure management and staff
that you are there to support them.
Our job as compliance officers and
internal auditors is to identify the
risks and recommend controls that
would reduce those risks. When I was
starting out, someone told me my
job was to locate the potholes in the
road and make suggestions on how to
fix them.
Q: Who helps you get things done?
A: It is a team effort. Supervisors,
managers and the doers of whichever
function I'm reviewing are the real
experts that can answer my questions
or show me how they are utilizing the
systems in their daily functions.
Q: What ICBA Education event
have you attended and why?
A: I love the Annual Certification
Conference. I love talking with
everyone about which systems they
are using and how they are using
them for their own processes. The
wealth of knowledge and ability to
brainstorm possible procedures for
given situations is so helpful.
Q: What is the value of your
Certification Designation?
A: The designation helps demonstrate
the ability and willingness of an
individual to be a lifelong learner,
along with the desire to achieve a
higher standard of excellence.
Caitlin Billings is a content marketing
specialist for ICBA.
independentbanker.org // 71
Upcoming events
From May 7-9, ICBA will
be holding the BSA/AML
Institute certification
class in Minneapolis. In
this class, BSA and AML,
compliance and security
officers will learn to better
evaluate community
banks' BSA/AML program.
For both new and
veteran auditors, ICBA
has its Audit Institute
certification class, with
two livestream options
May 14-16 and May 21-23.
Certified by ICBA
ICBA offers nine
certification programs
designed to raise industry
standards and provide
consumers with a trusted
mark of excellence.
Join Lisa and countless
others in taking the next
step toward professional
growth and success with
an ICBA certification.
icba.org/education/
certification
http://www.icba.org/education/certification http://www.icba.org/education/certification http://www.independentbanker.org
Independent Banker - April 2024

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