AgriBank veteran has led risk department since 2012 and previously worked in various credit capacities.
ST. PAUL, Minn., Friday, September 7, 2018 – Jim Jones has been named chief credit officer of AgriBank effective October 1, 2018. Jones joined AgriBank in 2002 and currently serves as chief risk officer. Prior to moving into a risk management role in 2012, he worked in the credit department as a senior lender, managed the credit review function and directed the wholesale lending function.
“Jim Jones has more than 20 years of experience and demonstrated leadership at Farm Credit, making him highly qualified to lead our credit function,” said Jeff Swanhorst, AgriBank CEO. “He has solid credit expertise, deep knowledge of AgriBank and strong working relationships with the 14 Farm Credit Associations that are our owners and customers, as well as other partners across the Farm Credit System.”
Jones will continue to serve on the AgriBank executive leadership team. In addition to his AgriBank responsibilities, he has served as the chair of the Farm Credit System Risk Management Workgroup since 2013 and was the chair of the System’s Review, Appraisal and Audit Workgroup in 2011 and 2012. Prior to joining AgriBank, he worked for five years with various Farm Credit entities. Prior to joining Farm Credit, he worked for several years with a community bank in Texas. Jones also was a Peace Corps volunteer in Papua New Guinea, where he worked with the Agricultural Development Bank of PNG restructuring coffee production loans. He holds a bachelor’s degree in Economics from North Central College (Illinois) and a master’s degree in Agricultural Economics from Texas A&M University.
“I’m thrilled to return to my professional roots to lead the AgriBank credit department,” Jones said. “The past several years working alongside the immensely skilled risk management team at AgriBank have helped prepare me for this opportunity. I am now blessed with the opportunity to lead a team of talented credit professionals. Together we will work hard to continue to fulfill our important mission of providing funding and financial solutions to our Association owners.”
Jones will replace Jerry Lehnertz, who has served as interim chief credit officer of AgriBank since April 2018, succeeding Swanhorst, who was named CEO then. Lehnertz will remain with AgriBank during the transition period before his planned retirement in early 2019. An interim chief risk officer will be named soon, and a search for a permanent chief risk officer will begin soon.
ABOUT AGRIBANK
AgriBank is part of the customer-owned, nationwide Farm Credit System. Under Farm Credit’s cooperative structure, AgriBank is primarily owned by 14 local Farm Credit Associations, which provide financial products and services to rural communities and agriculture. AgriBank obtains funds and provides funding and financial solutions to those Associations. The AgriBank District covers a 15-state area stretching from Wyoming to Ohio and Minnesota to Arkansas. For more information, please visit www.AgriBank.com.