When Kris Karnes was elected to the Westside Community Schools’ board of education in 2016, she was enjoying a successful career with the Kutak Rock law firm. She had also recently been a visiting assistant professor at Creighton University School of Law, her alma mater. She and her husband, David Karnes, a fellow attorney and business executive who had also served Nebraska in the U.S. Senate, were raising two young daughters and active in the community.  

In October 2020, Karnes lost her husband of 12 years to cancer. Heartbroken, she found refuge in her work—leading to a new career in 2021 as senior director of business owner advisory services for First National Bank of Omaha. She describes her role as providing a unique service for clients “who want to plan for an eventual transition but are not quite sure where to start.” 

“I have experienced how challenging it can be to navigate grief while also making difficult business decisions. I wanted to change my focus away from practicing law and use that experience in a way that I thought could help business owners and their families be prepared for either an anticipated or an unexpected exit from their business, she said. 

"I was fortunate that FNBO was forming a group to help customers address those very issues. It gave me a unique opportunity to change from representing businesses in a legal capacity to now helping the families behind the businesses. So, while I’m no longer practicing law, I still get to use that knowledge in a nontraditional manner. It’s very rewarding. There’s a real need.”

Her work also reflects Karnes’ deep roots in community service beginning in her south-central Nebraska hometown of Hildreth. Her mother was a trust officer in a bank, and her father owned real estate and insurance businesses. He also served on the local school board and as county supervisor. 

“They were really involved in the community,” Karnes said. “Having grown up in a small town, I saw everyone pitching in to make sure our schools and our community thrived. I feel like I have the responsibility to continue those efforts in Omaha.”

Karnes was recently elected to her second term on the Westside board of education, where she also serves as secretary. She is chair of the Omaha Airport Authority board and a member of the Scottish Rite Foundation of Omaha board. Her past service includes leadership positions with the Omaha Planning Board and Nebraska Humane Society board, and serving the Salvation Army Omaha’s advisory board and the Omaha Children’s Museum’s board.

She’s also involved with Kicks for the Cure, a fundraiser for a cancer research fund called Liz’s Legacy formed by David Karnes in honor of his first wife, Elizabeth, who died of cancer in 2003. Because David also died of cancer, the cause is especially important to the Karnes family, including David and Elizabeth Karnes’s four adult daughters, who remain close to Kris Karnes and their half-sisters. 

Creighton Law school brought Kris Karnes to Omaha, but she’s embraced the “fantastic community” ever since. 

“It was important to me to be in an environment where I could get involved, Omaha was the best of both worlds: a city with the feeling of a small town,” she said. 

Karnes approaches her board service with the same diligence she does her career. Omaha City Planning Department Director David Fanslau called her “honest, intelligent, respectful and a good communicator.”

“I’ve known Kris for a long time and her commitment to the Omaha Planning Board is a microcosm of her overall dedication to our community,” he said, praising Karnes for her preparedness and attention to detail.

Karnes said she strives to be “ethical, fair, and caring,” and that her community service has “given me the opportunity to learn more about my community and some of the challenges we face. It’s taught me how very successful organizations are run. Over the last couple of years, in particular, I’ve learned how to face tough criticism and work to find common ground.” 

She said she also strives to be a positive role model for her two daughters, now 11 and 9 years old. 

“My husband was a great dad who spent a lot of time with our daughters, and I’ve had to try to fill both of those parental roles for them," Karnes said. "As a sole parent, there are times I really need to be there for my kids, and that’s probably nonnegotiable for me. Luckily, I work for a company that shares my values and supports me.

"I’m glad my daughters get to see their mom work a job she loves and try to make the community better.” 

Visit fnbo.com/commercial-team/karnes-kris for more information.

This article originally appeared in the October 2022 issue of Omaha Magazine. To receive the magazine, click here to subscribe.