Michael J. Reynolds has served as president and chief executive officer since 1/1/2020. He is a Farm Credit veteran having joined in 1990 after graduating from Hartwick College with a Bachelor’s in Management and Accounting. Prior to becoming CEO, he served as Chief Business Officer where he provided executive leadership for all branch credit and financial services operations. He is also a member of Farm Credit East’s Credit and Human Resources committees. He serves as chair of the Board of Farm Credit Financial Partners (FPI), a service company owned by Farm Credit East and other ACAs. He is also active in other workgroups within the Farm Credit System, including serving as Vice Chair of the Farm Credit System’s Presidents Planning Committee, a national leadership group, and will serve as Chair in 2023.
Senior Officers
Senior Leadership Responsibilities
Bill works closely with the Chief Executive Officer and members of the executive and senior leadership teams in leading and/or executing on association strategic and business initiatives, including developing alliances with Farm Credit System and non-Farm Credit System organizations. Bill is responsible for measuring and monitoring enterprise risk and analytics within Farm Credit East and provides the board and management reports demonstrating operational performance against the association’s risk appetite. Bill oversees the association’s cyber-related programs, including the business continuity and incident response plans, as well as the data governance and management programs. He also coordinates matters with the federal examiner, the Farm Credit Administration, and works closely with the association’s technology partner, Financial Partners Inc. (FPI). Bill joined Farm Credit in 1987, initially as a regulator and has advanced through several positions throughout his career. He is a graduate of the University of Nebraska with a degree in accounting. He serves on the Executive Leadership Team, chairs the Management Risk and Model Governance committees, and serves on the Credit Committee. He also works closely with the Board’s Business Risk Committee.
Briana oversees the credit analyst and operations functions, ensuring alignment of all aspects of credit delivery. She also leads Farm Credit East’s human resources, including benefits, recruiting, employee engagement, training, compensation and many other special projects. She joined Farm Credit in 2003 and served as loan officer in the Middleboro branch for seven years, and human resources for 13 years before transitioning to her current role as COO. She is Chair of Farm Credit East’s Human Resources Committee and serves on the CoBank Retirement Trust. She serves as director of the board of Farm Credit Financial Partners (FPI), a service company owned by Farm Credit East and other ACAs. She is a graduate of Cornell University with a degree in animal science/ag business. She is also a graduate of LEAD New York and Farm Credit’s Leadership Development Program.
Jan oversees the ACA’s farm tax and accounting programs, business consulting, and the crop insurance business unit. Jan began her Farm Credit career as a loan officer in 1982. She served as a branch manager in Central New York before becoming a regional manager, overseeing eight branch offices in the central part of the association’s territory. Jan is past president of the Farm Financial Standards Council, which promotes uniform financial reporting in agriculture. She served as treasurer of the New York Agricultural Land Trust and volunteers at the Northeast Dairy Challenge and other ag and community groups. Jan holds a B.S. in agricultural economics from Cornell University and an MBA from Syracuse University. She and her family live in Skaneateles, NY.
Prior to assuming his current position in 2018, Thomas W. Cosgrove served as senior vice president for Public Affairs and Knowledge Exchange, and previous to that role, he was a vice president in Farm Credit East’s Commercial Lending unit. Prior to joining Farm Credit East, he served in a variety of roles for CoBank in its capital markets, communications and agribusiness divisions. He has also served as a staff member of the United States Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry. He is the immediate past chair of the Empire State Council of Agricultural Organizations and serves on the board of the Northeast Agricultural Education Foundation. He is a graduate of LEAD New York and holds a B.S. in communications from Cornell and an MBA from the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill.
Alena C. Gfeller is responsible for Farm Credit East’s legal department and serves as the Standards of Conduct officer. As head of the legal department, she is charged with providing support on complex and innovative loan issues, ensuring regulatory compliance, supervision of outside counsel, and assisting with all facets of the Association’s legal and governance needs. She serves on the Farm Credit East Human Resources Committee and works closely with the Board’s Governance/Stewardship Committee. She joined Farm Credit East in September 2016, having previously been a partner and member of the executive committee at Murtha Cullina, LLP. She is a graduate of Arizona State University and received her law degree from Widener University School of Law.
Andrew N. Grant leads the financial, treasury, accounting and asset-liability management operations of the Association. Prior to assuming his current position, he was chief financial officer of Farm Credit of Maine and has held several positions since joining Farm Credit in 1995. He is a member of the Association’s Executive Leadership Team, serves as Chair of the Asset Liability Committee and works closely with the Board Audit Committee. He also serves on the CoBank, ACB Retirement Trust Committee, which oversees the defined benefit and defined contribution retirement plans for the Association and several other Farm Credit employers. He is a graduate of Husson University and holds both a B.S. in management accounting and a M.S. in business.
Roger E. Murray provides strategic oversight to the credit & appraisal functions in the capital markets, agribusiness, retail and Country Living segments. He serves as Chair of Credit Committee and provides program leadership for Farm Credit East’s trade credit partnership with AgDirect, digital loan originations with Farmlend, and leasing services through Farm Credit Leasing. He serves on Farm Credit East’s Executive Leadership Team, Credit, Asset Liability, Business Risk, and Human Resources committees and works closely with the Board’s Business Risk Committee. He holds a degree from Cornell University in agricultural economics. He joined Farm Credit in 1981 and has held several positions with predecessor organizations as well as the Springfield Bank for Cooperatives and CoBank in Springfield, Mass.
David H. Pugh provides executive leadership and oversight of Farm Credit East’s transformation office, including its digital strategy. As CXO, Dave and his team are responsible for both customer and employee experiences including the impacts of digital, process and delivery implementation and use. Dave started with Farm Credit in 1986 as a loan officer in the Cortland, NY, office. He served as branch manager in both the Cortland and Cobleskill New Yok offices before transitioning to develop the Country Living program in 2005, where he served as Director for 14 years. He is a graduate of Farm Credit’s Management Development and Leadership Development programs and LEAD New York, Class VIII, where he also served on its board. Dave holds an AAS in Animal Science from SUNY Morrisville and a BS in Agricultural Economics from Cornell University.
Michael J. Reynolds has served as president and chief executive officer since 1/1/2020. He is a Farm Credit veteran having joined in 1990 after graduating from Hartwick College with a Bachelor’s in Management and Accounting. Prior to becoming CEO, he served as Chief Business Officer where he provided executive leadership for all branch credit and financial services operations. He is also a member of Farm Credit East’s Credit and Human Resources committees. He serves as chair of the Board of Farm Credit Financial Partners (FPI), a service company owned by Farm Credit East and other ACAs. He is also active in other workgroups within the Farm Credit System, including serving as Vice Chair of the Farm Credit System’s Presidents Planning Committee, a national leadership group, and will serve as Chair in 2023.
Bill works closely with the Chief Executive Officer and members of the executive and senior leadership teams in leading and/or executing on association strategic and business initiatives, including developing alliances with Farm Credit System and non-Farm Credit System organizations. Bill is responsible for measuring and monitoring enterprise risk and analytics within Farm Credit East and provides the board and management reports demonstrating operational performance against the association’s risk appetite. Bill oversees the association’s cyber-related programs, including the business continuity and incident response plans, as well as the data governance and management programs. He also coordinates matters with the federal examiner, the Farm Credit Administration, and works closely with the association’s technology partner, Financial Partners Inc. (FPI). Bill joined Farm Credit in 1987, initially as a regulator and has advanced through several positions throughout his career. He is a graduate of the University of Nebraska with a degree in accounting. He serves on the Executive Leadership Team, chairs the Management Risk and Model Governance committees, and serves on the Credit Committee. He also works closely with the Board’s Business Risk Committee.
Briana oversees the credit analyst and operations functions, ensuring alignment of all aspects of credit delivery. She also leads Farm Credit East’s human resources, including benefits, recruiting, employee engagement, training, compensation and many other special projects. She joined Farm Credit in 2003 and served as loan officer in the Middleboro branch for seven years, and human resources for 13 years before transitioning to her current role as COO. She is Chair of Farm Credit East’s Human Resources Committee and serves on the CoBank Retirement Trust. She serves as director of the board of Farm Credit Financial Partners (FPI), a service company owned by Farm Credit East and other ACAs. She is a graduate of Cornell University with a degree in animal science/ag business. She is also a graduate of LEAD New York and Farm Credit’s Leadership Development Program.
Jan oversees the ACA’s farm tax and accounting programs, business consulting, and the crop insurance business unit. Jan began her Farm Credit career as a loan officer in 1982. She served as a branch manager in Central New York before becoming a regional manager, overseeing eight branch offices in the central part of the association’s territory. Jan is past president of the Farm Financial Standards Council, which promotes uniform financial reporting in agriculture. She served as treasurer of the New York Agricultural Land Trust and volunteers at the Northeast Dairy Challenge and other ag and community groups. Jan holds a B.S. in agricultural economics from Cornell University and an MBA from Syracuse University. She and her family live in Skaneateles, NY.
Prior to assuming his current position in 2018, Thomas W. Cosgrove served as senior vice president for Public Affairs and Knowledge Exchange, and previous to that role, he was a vice president in Farm Credit East’s Commercial Lending unit. Prior to joining Farm Credit East, he served in a variety of roles for CoBank in its capital markets, communications and agribusiness divisions. He has also served as a staff member of the United States Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry. He is the immediate past chair of the Empire State Council of Agricultural Organizations and serves on the board of the Northeast Agricultural Education Foundation. He is a graduate of LEAD New York and holds a B.S. in communications from Cornell and an MBA from the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill.
Alena C. Gfeller is responsible for Farm Credit East’s legal department and serves as the Standards of Conduct officer. As head of the legal department, she is charged with providing support on complex and innovative loan issues, ensuring regulatory compliance, supervision of outside counsel, and assisting with all facets of the Association’s legal and governance needs. She serves on the Farm Credit East Human Resources Committee and works closely with the Board’s Governance/Stewardship Committee. She joined Farm Credit East in September 2016, having previously been a partner and member of the executive committee at Murtha Cullina, LLP. She is a graduate of Arizona State University and received her law degree from Widener University School of Law.
Andrew N. Grant leads the financial, treasury, accounting and asset-liability management operations of the Association. Prior to assuming his current position, he was chief financial officer of Farm Credit of Maine and has held several positions since joining Farm Credit in 1995. He is a member of the Association’s Executive Leadership Team, serves as Chair of the Asset Liability Committee and works closely with the Board Audit Committee. He also serves on the CoBank, ACB Retirement Trust Committee, which oversees the defined benefit and defined contribution retirement plans for the Association and several other Farm Credit employers. He is a graduate of Husson University and holds both a B.S. in management accounting and a M.S. in business.
Roger E. Murray provides strategic oversight to the credit & appraisal functions in the capital markets, agribusiness, retail and Country Living segments. He serves as Chair of Credit Committee and provides program leadership for Farm Credit East’s trade credit partnership with AgDirect, digital loan originations with Farmlend, and leasing services through Farm Credit Leasing. He serves on Farm Credit East’s Executive Leadership Team, Credit, Asset Liability, Business Risk, and Human Resources committees and works closely with the Board’s Business Risk Committee. He holds a degree from Cornell University in agricultural economics. He joined Farm Credit in 1981 and has held several positions with predecessor organizations as well as the Springfield Bank for Cooperatives and CoBank in Springfield, Mass.
David H. Pugh provides executive leadership and oversight of Farm Credit East’s transformation office, including its digital strategy. As CXO, Dave and his team are responsible for both customer and employee experiences including the impacts of digital, process and delivery implementation and use. Dave started with Farm Credit in 1986 as a loan officer in the Cortland, NY, office. He served as branch manager in both the Cortland and Cobleskill New Yok offices before transitioning to develop the Country Living program in 2005, where he served as Director for 14 years. He is a graduate of Farm Credit’s Management Development and Leadership Development programs and LEAD New York, Class VIII, where he also served on its board. Dave holds an AAS in Animal Science from SUNY Morrisville and a BS in Agricultural Economics from Cornell University.