KEARNEY – Jerry A. Catlett has been selected as the 2026 UNK College of Business and Technology Distinguished Alumnus Award recipient.
He will be honored 11:30 a.m. Oct. 2 during the 46th annual Distinguished Alumni Awards luncheon in the Gala Room at the Regional Engagement Center, 2204 University Drive. Tickets can be purchased at unkalumni.org/homecoming or by calling the UNK Alumni Association at 308-698-5271.
“Jerry Catlett embodies the values we strive to instill in our students through his leadership, integrity and commitment to service,” said Brooke Envick, dean of the UNK College of Business and Technology. “His success in community banking, dedication to the growth of Nebraska communities and continued investment in UNK make him an outstanding representative of our college and a deserving recipient of this honor.”
An Ansley native now living in Bruning, Catlett has built a distinguished career in community banking and financial leadership spanning more than four decades. He has been with Bruning Bank since 1993, helping guide the institution through significant growth and expansion. Under his leadership as president and chief operating officer, the bank has been recognized by American Banker as a Top Bank to Work For in 2022, 2023 and 2024 and has grown to become one of Nebraska’s largest state-chartered banks.
Prior to joining Bruning Bank, Catlett held leadership positions at United Nebraska Bank in Broken Bow and First Nebraska Bank in Arcadia. Throughout his career, he has focused on strategic planning, lending, operations and community banking, earning a reputation as a respected leader within Nebraska’s financial industry.
Catlett served as chairman of the Nebraska Bankers Association and Nebraska Bankers Insurance Services Company and later chaired the Banking Council for Blueprint Nebraska. He also served on the Graduate School of Banking Banker Advisory Board and Federal Home Loan Bank of Topeka Banker Advisory Council.
A dedicated supporter of higher education, Catlett serves on the UNK College of Business and Technology Dean’s Leadership Council and is a trustee of the University of Nebraska Foundation, where he serves on the finance committee. He and his wife Jill have supported the university through the “Only in Nebraska” campaign and other initiatives that advance student success.
His commitment to service also includes leadership roles with the Catholic Foundation of Southern Nebraska, University of Nebraska LEAD Program Board and numerous local civic organizations. Closer to home, Catlett devoted 25 years to elected service on local town and school boards, including many years as mayor and board president. In 2003, he received the Knights of Ak-Sar-Ben Ike Friedman Community Leaders Award.
Catlett earned a Bachelor of Science in business administration from Kearney State College in 1982 and later completed the Graduate School of Banking at the University of Wisconsin-Madison.