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Farm Credit Financial Partners, Inc. (FPI) is pleased to announce the appointment of Michael Reynolds, CEO of Farm Credit East, as Chair of its Board of Directors and Jessica Fyre, General Counsel and Chief Operations Officer of AgCountry Farm Credit Services, as the Board Vice Chair effective January 1, 2022. 

Reynolds has served as CEO of Farm Credit East since 2020. He previously served as Chief Business Officer of Farm Credit East where he provided executive leadership for all branch credit and financial services operations. He also previously served as Executive Vice President and Regional Manager. Reynolds has been with Farm Credit for 31 years, joining Farm Credit in 1990 after graduating from Hartwick College with a bachelor's degree in Management and Accounting.  

Fyre currently serves as General Counsel and Chief Operations Officer of AgCountry Farm Credit Services where she provides advice and counsel on legal, regulatory and legislative matters. She is the principal legal advisor to the Board of Directors, Chief Executive Officer and Executive Leadership Team. Fyre provides leadership to the legal and lending services team, which provides expertise to the entire association in the areas of loan documents, collateral, real estate and title, statutory and regulatory compliance, contract review and all other legal matters impacting the association. In the COO role, she oversees efforts to refine and improve AgCountry’s business processes and practices to best serve customers while also developing and implementing business strategies related to technology.  

Marcus Knisely, President and CEO of AgCountry Farm Credit Services and current Chair of the Board, and Mark Littlefield, president and CEO of Farm Credit West and current Vice Chair, will continue to serve on FPI’s Board of Directors. Additional members include David Barbieri, SVP and Chief Information Officer at Northwest Farm Credit Services; John Barcelos, Chief Risk Officer of Farm Credit West; Briana Beebe, EVP of Human Resources of Farm Credit East; Ryan Berg, SVP and Chief Administration Officer of Farm Credit Illinois; Aaron Johnson, President and CEO of Farm Credit Illinois; and Tom Nakano, EVP, Chief Administration Officer, and Chief Financial Officer of Northwest Farm Credit Services. 

ABOUT FARM CREDIT FINANCIAL PARTNERS  

Organized in 1995, Farm Credit Financial Partners, Inc. (FPI) provides technology products and services to the Farm Credit System. A customer-owned service organization, FPI supports six agricultural credit associations (ACAs) from Maine to California with 100,000 members and $43 billion in Farm Credit assets. Through a customer-driven approach, FPI is improving lending for American agriculture with technology that is robust, reliable, and intuitive. Visit financialpartners.com. 

Farm Credit East is pleased to announce the merger of Farm Credit East and Yankee Farm Credit, effective January 1, 2022. The merger received final regulatory approval following stockholder votes of both organizations overwhelmingly in favor of the merger. The merged association will operate under the legal name of Farm Credit East, ACA, and leadership of CEO Mike Reynolds.

Both ACAs are coming off excellent years and are financially and operationally strong, which is the best time to implement a merger. This strategic opportunity will position Farm Credit East for future change and enhance the financial cooperative’s support of Northeast agriculture, commercial fishing and forest products.

“This merger is the culmination of strategic planning initiatives in both associations to enhance growth and customer value for Farm Credit in the Northeast,” said CEO Reynolds. “With this merger comes new opportunities, including an expanded pool of talented staff, experience and resources to enhance member service and allow Farm Credit to continue delivering long-term value for our customer-owners."

The merged association will also create the opportunity for increased loan diversity, a stronger capital base and enhanced earnings. In 2022, the merged association plans to build on these goals as well as move forward on other positive initiatives that provide high-value customer and employee experiences.

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For more information:
Contact: Kristie Matuszewski 
Telephone: 800.562.2235
Email: Kristie.Matuszewski@FarmCreditEast.com    

For access to the original article:
https://www.farmcrediteast.com/News/media-center/press-releases/20220103MergerBringsNewOpportunities

Fargo, N.D. - Shareholders have approved a merger proposal bringing together two Farm Credit organizations serving Minnesota, North Dakota, and Wisconsin. AgCountry Farm Credit Services and Farm Credit Services of North Dakota will merge under the name AgCountry Farm Credit Services, beginning January 1.

The merged organization will operate in 82 counties throughout parts of Minnesota, North Dakota, and Wisconsin with 46 branch offices. Headquartered in Fargo, N.D., the Association will serve over 25,000 member-owners, and have over $10 billion in assets.

“We want to first thank our shareholders for exercising their right in helping shape the future of our cooperative,” said Ed Hegland, board chair of AgCountry Farm Credit Services. “From the beginning, both boards felt a merger would provide our member-owners with greater long-term benefits, and this vote further affirms that belief.”

Farm Credit Services of North Dakota Board Chair Bryan Ankenbauer shares, “Our commitment to serving agriculture and rural America will only grow stronger with this merger. We look forward to the new opportunities that will be created while keeping the best interests of our members at the center of all that we do.”

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About AgCountry Farm Credit Services
Headquartered in Fargo, N.D., AgCountry is a member-owned, locally-governed lending institution that provides credit, financial and insurance services to farmers, ranchers and agribusinesses in eastern North Dakota, western Minnesota and central Wisconsin. AgCountry is a part of the Farm Credit System, a nationwide network of cooperative financial services institutions that serves rural America. Learn more at AgCountry.com.

About Farm Credit Services of North Dakota
Farm Credit Services of North Dakota is a member-owned agricultural cooperative providing loans to farmers and ranchers for real estate, machinery, livestock and operating needs. FCSND also offers life & disability and crop insurance to the rural community. FCSND serves northwest and north central North Dakota and is part of the Farm Credit System. Learn more at farmcreditnd.com.

For access to the original article: https://www.agcountry.com/News/2021/November/merger-approval#:~:text=Fargo%2C%20N.D.%20%2D%20Shareholders%20have%20approved,%2C%20North%20Dakota%2C%20and%20Wisconsin.&text=%E2%80%9CFrom%20the%20beginning%2C%20both%20boards,vote%20further%20affirms%20that%20belief.%E2%80%9D

Farm Credit Financial Partners, Inc. (FPI) is pleased to announce the appointment of Jim McCormack as the company’s Executive Vice President, Chief Technology Officer. 

McCormack joined FPI in 2016 and most recently served as the Senior Vice President of Engineering and Architecture. In that position, McCormack leads the organization’s engineering and architecture groups. His team is responsible for designing and developing the software applications at the heart of Farm Credit Financial Partners' innovative ecosystem of cloud-based products and services.  

Previously, he also served as the Senior Director of Application Development. Though he has provided software engineering expertise in various industries, he has been helping teams develop applications exclusively in the financial services industry since 2008, which previously included commercial banks and investment firms. He holds a BA in business and an MBA from the Gabelli School of Business at Fordham University.  

“Jim has played a critical role in shaping the technology platforms we have transitioned to over the past several years,” said CEO Bob Passini. “He continues to do so through the development and implementation of strategies that will carry FPI into the future as a trusted technology partner to our customers.” 

The appointment of McCormack as Chief Technology Officer comes at a pivotal time for FPI as the company shifts into a service delivery organization and value-added systems integrator. Jim will play a critical role in FPI’s latest initiatives, including modernizing its legacy platforms, deploying a commercial integration platform, and enacting a holistic document management strategy. FPI’s focus remains on accelerating and improving systems integration for its customer-owners. 

“I am very appreciative of my team's efforts that have allowed me to be elevated to a higher position of trust in the organization. FPI's talented individuals are why we are successful, and I am grateful to be part of this group of professionals,” said Jim McCormack. “I look forward to executing a strategy of agility and delivering a flexible system of business capabilities and services that improve our industry's competitive stance.” 

ABOUT FARM CREDIT FINANCIAL PARTNERS 

Organized in 1995, Farm Credit Financial Partners, Inc. (FPI) is the largest provider of technology products and services to the Farm Credit System. A customer-owned service organization, FPI supports six agricultural credit associations (ACAs) from Maine to California with 100,000 members and $43 billion in Farm Credit assets. Through a customer-driven approach, FPI is improving lending for American agriculture with technology that is robust, reliable, and intuitive. Visit financialpartners.com. 

Spokane, Washington (Jan. 4, 2023) – Stockholders of both Northwest Farm Credit Services and Farm Credit West have overwhelmingly approved a merger of their associations to form AgWest Farm Credit – a new association serving more than 22,000 customers throughout seven western states. The merger was effective January 1, 2023, after a rigorous due diligence and approval process and affirmative stockholder vote.

The new association will be led by past Farm Credit West President and CEO Mark Littlefield and a management team from both legacy associations. According to Littlefield, “This is a merger of two very successful, financially strong Farm Credit associations across the West who have partnered together for many years. Merging allows us to bring the best of each association together to form an even more effective cooperative and offer increased value to our members.”

Nate Riggers, Northwest FCS Board Chair added, “Our boards view this as a strategic merger that will enhance our current capabilities to better position us to serve generations of farmers and ranchers into the future.” The two legacy association boards have combined to form the AgWest Board of Directors, which includes 22 customers from different regions of the AgWest territory and two appointed non-customer experts. Riggers goes on to say that day-to-day business for customers should not be impacted by the merger. “While our name has changed, our staff, locations and care for our customers will remain the same.”

Headquarters of the new association will be in Spokane, with regional operating centers across the west. AgWest will serve producers, agribusinesses, and related industries in Alaska, Arizona, California, Idaho, Oregon, Montana, and Washington, providing financing and insurance services. No changes to local branch offices are anticipated with the merger.

About AgWest FCS

AgWest is a $30 billion financial cooperative that provides financing and related services to farmers, ranchers, agribusinesses, commercial fishermen, timber producers, rural homeowners and crop insurance customers in a seven-state territory in the Western United States. AgWest is part of the 106-year-old Farm Credit System – the leading provider of credit to American agriculture. AgWest serves customers in 59 locations throughout the West.

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Contact Kylee Burleigh (Andrews) Communications Specialist Kylee.Burleigh@northwestfcs.com 

For access to the original article: Farm Credit Stockholders Vote to Form New Association in the West

Farm Credit Financial Partners, Inc. (FPI) is pleased to announce the appointment of Liz Chrystal as the company’s Vice President, Portfolio Management and Delivery and Jason Warren as Vice President, Chief Information Security Officer.

Chrystal joins FPI with over 15 years of experience in both technical portfolio management and operations, advancing IT and business operating models for successful delivery. She will lead FPI’s Enterprise Portfolio Management Office, Customer Success, and Solutions Consulting teams to drive execution and implementation of FPI’s ecosystem of platforms that enable customers to drive value delivery. 

Chrystal has worked in various roles including commercial healthcare, IT professional services at government agencies, and other integrated health insurers. Previously, she served on an IT executive leadership team at a five-site integrated health system headquartered in Springfield, Massachusetts. She holds a bachelor’s degree in liberal studies and a Project Management certificate from Bryant University. 

“I am looking forward to sharing what I’ve learned in the technology industry,” said Chrystal. “Multiple key initiatives are already underway, including promoting and attracting talented individuals to FPI and identifying areas of our service delivery model to refine.”

Following a nearly 30-year career in information risk management and cybersecurity threat detection, Jason Warren joins FPI to lead the teams focused on protecting FPI and its associations from information and cybersecurity threats.

Warren is a proud Veteran that served in the United States Coast Guard for 32 years and was recognized as a senior military leader in cybersecurity initiatives. Most recently, Warren served as a cybersecurity manager at two Fortune 500 financial institutions. He holds a bachelor’s degree in information systems management and a master’s degree in cybersecurity from Excelsior University. He holds numerous certifications including the Certified Information Systems Security Professional (CISSP) and Certified Information System Manager (CISM). 

“Serving as the Chief Information Security Officer is an incredible opportunity,” said Warren. “We have an exceptionally talented team of cybersecurity professionals that is dedicated to securing our networks and the success of our agricultural credit association customers.” 

The appointment of Chrystal and Warren will continue to strengthen FPI’s ability to execute several multi-year initiatives in partnership with its customer-owners, including modernizing its legacy platforms and further development of integration capabilities. 

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ABOUT FARM CREDIT FINANCIAL PARTNERS

Organized in 1995, Farm Credit Financial Partners, Inc. (FPI) is the largest provider of technology products and services to the Farm Credit System. A customer-owned service organization, FPI supports five agricultural credit associations (ACAs) from Maine to California with 117,000 members and $53 billion in Farm Credit assets. Through a customer-driven approach, FPI is improving lending for American agriculture with technology that is robust, reliable, and intuitive. Visit www.financialpartners.com.