Farm Credit East Announces Board Election Results

ENFIELD, CONN. — Farm Credit East, a customer-owned cooperative lender and financial services provider, has announced the results of its recent director elections and board reorganization meeting. The 16-member board represents the diversity of Northeast agriculture and forest products.

Farm Credit East, ACA stockholders recently elected the following three members to serve on its board of directors:

• James Robbins II, of Searsmont, Maine, was elected to a three-year term in the Eastern Region. James is co-owner and president of Robbins Lumber Inc, an Eastern White Pine Lumber mill with four locations, as well as sustainably manages over 28,000 acres of working timberland and operates an 8.5 MW biomass power plant.
• Laurie Griffen, of Schuylerville, NY, was elected to a four-year term in the Central Region. Laurie is co-owner and operator of Saratoga Sod Farm consisting of approximately 700 acres of turfgrass sod; a range of seed and fertilizer products and a sod installation service; 600 acres of corn and soybeans; and a retail bagged garden soil operation.
• Douglas Shelmidine, of Adams, NY, was elected to a four-year term in the Western Region. Doug is owner and operator of Sheland Farms LLC, a 900-cow dairy with 730 head of youngstock and crops about 3,000 acres, as well as operating Sheland Farm Services, a business offering crop-related services.

Farm Credit East congratulates the winning candidates and thanks customer-members for participating in the election process. 

At the April 23 reorganization meeting, the board elected John Knopf, of Canandaigua, N.Y., as Chair and LouAnne King, of Madrid, N.Y., as Vice Chair. In addition to Chair Knopf and Vice Chair King, the Executive Committee also includes Laurie Griffen, of Schuylerville, N.Y., James Robbins II, of Searsmont, Maine, and Kyle Thygesen, of Tunbridge, Vt.

“Farm Credit East has an essential role in serving Northeast agriculture, commercial fishing and forest products. We have an excellent board of directors whose experience and diversity enables us to effectively represent members across our service area,” said Chair Knopf. “As Laurie Griffen steps down as Chair, I want to thank her for her leadership over the past several years, guiding the association through a period of tremendous change and growth. I look forward to her counsel in my new role.”   

Farm Credit East is a customer-owned agricultural cooperative and part of the nationwide Farm Credit System. Farm Credit East serves Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Rhode Island and Vermont.

The full Farm Credit East board is comprised of 16 directors, which includes three appointed directors who bring additional skills and capabilities to the boardroom. In addition to those recently elected to the board and those elected to leadership and Executive Committee positions, the board includes: Timothy Benjamin, Naples, Fla.; Michael Brooks, Elmer, N.J.; David Folino, Starksboro, Vt.; Jamie Jones, Shelton, Conn.; Brett Kreher, Clarence, N.Y.; Jay McWatters, Hamburg, N.Y.; Lisa Sellew, Lebanon, Conn.; Peter Triandafillou, Orono, Maine; Amy Walker-Bailey, Fort Ann, N.Y.; and Terry Zittel, Eden, N.Y.

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