ST. PAUL, Minn., March 12, 2021—AgriBank today announced election results for four positions on its 18-member board of directors as well as the election of its chair and vice chair. The elections took place this week during the AgriBank 2021 Annual Meeting. AgriBank also announced the appointment of an outside director.
NEWLY ELECTED CHAIR AND VICE CHAIR
NICK VANDE WEERD (CHAIR)
Nick Vande Weerd, of Brookings, S.D., has dairy and livestock operations that include corn, soybeans and alfalfa. He has served on the AgriBank board since 2015. Vande Weerd previously served on the Farm Credit Services of America board.
STAN CLAUSSEN (VICE CHAIR)
Stan Claussen, of Montevideo, Minn., raises corn, corn silage, sugar beets, canning crops, and soybeans, as well as installs drainage tile and land improvement projects. He has served on the AgriBank board since 2016.
NEWLY ELECTED DIRECTORS
JEFF AUSTMAN
Jeff Austman, of Forrest, Ill., raises corn and soybeans. He previously served on the board of 1st Farm Credit Services, which merged into Compeer Financial in 2017.
DALE CRAWFORD
Dale Crawford, of Sullivan, Ill., raises corn and soybeans. He previously served on the Farm Credit Illinois board. He has served on the AgriBank board since 2017.
TIM ROWE
Tim Rowe, of Elwood, Neb., raises corn, soybeans, and alfalfa, and has a livestock operation that includes a cow-calf herd, a custom backgrounding feedlot, and finishing. Rowe previously served on the Farm Credit Services of America board. He has served on the AgriBank board since 2017 and previously served on the AgriBank board from 2010-2014.
TONY WOLFE
Tony Wolfe, of Hazleton, Ind., raises grain. He previously served on the Farm Credit Mid-America board.
Elected directors serve four-year terms, and board officers are elected each year.
NEWLY APPOINTED DIRECTOR
IVAR CHHINA
Ivar Chhina, of Bellevue, Wash., was appointed to a four-year term on the AgriBank board. Chhina has more than 30 years of business experience, including as a C-level executive, board member and investor in the healthcare services and technology, consumer retail and manufacturing, specialty outdoor sporting goods, and technology sectors. He is currently an investor, board member and/or private equity operating partner/advisor for several organizations, public and private, including Malibu Boats, Inc., where he chairs the audit committee of the board. Among other executive positions, Chhina was formerly the chairman and chief executive officer of InterDent, Inc. and the chief financial officer/executive vice president of Recreational Equipment, Inc. (REI Co-op), the national outdoor gear and apparel retailer.
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.