Executive Leadership Team

Farm Credit Services is led by an 8-person senior management team who provides leadership to more than 950 employees throughout Kentucky, Ohio, Indiana and Tennessee dedicated to serving the needs of farmers and rural America.

Bill Johnson - President and Chief Executive Officer

Bill Johnson became President and CEO in March, 2011. He comes to Farm Credit from AgriBank of St. Paul, where he was Executive Vice President – Business Services. He has had a 28-year career within the Farm Credit System, starting with FCS as a credit analyst in Huntingburg, Indiana and then accepting positions in credit and marketing at the Farm Credit Bank of Louisville and eventually being named vice president of credit at Farm Credit Services of Mid-America in Louisville. In 1990, Johnson moved to Northwest Farm Credit Services in Spokane, Washington serving in a number of capacities including Executive Vice President and Chief Information Officer. Bill transferred to Farm Credit Financial Partners, Inc., a System-owned technology company, as Executive Vice President and later accepted the position of Chief Information Officer at AgriBank. He holds a finance degree from the University of Evansville and an MBA from Gonzaga University

Randie Barnard - Senior Vice President - Risk Management

Barnard works with the Board and CEO in identifying and managing lending and operational risk; assisting in the establishment and evaluation of appropriate corporate risk tolerances and providing direction and leadership in the establishment of policies and procedures that reflect the corporate risk management philosophy. As leader of the Audit Department, he is responsible for reviewing the association's policies and procedures, compliance laws, regulations and objectives. Barnard has been with Farm Credit almost 35 years and has held positions in sales, special accounts, credit and audit. He obtained his Bachelor of Science in Agricultural Economics from the University of Kentucky and his MBA from Baldwin Wallace College in Cleveland, Ohio. Barnard was raised on a cattle farm in Beaver Dam, Kentucky and is part owner of a 215 acre cash grain farm.

Paul Bruce - Senior Vice President - Financial Operations and Chief Financial Officer  

Bruce is responsible for managing the accounting and financial operations. He has been with the Farm Credit System since 1987 where he began his career as accounting manager at the Farm Credit Bank of St. Louis.  In 1994, he was hired as vice president - loan accounting for Farm Credit Services in Louisville. Prior to joining the Farm Credit System, he worked for Bell Systems/AT&T.  Bruce received his bachelor's degree from William Jewell College in Liberty, Missouri and his Executive MBA from Washington University in St. Louis. 

Heather Hornback - Vice President - Human Resources

Hornback leads the talent management process, recruitment and hiring, training and development, benefits and compensation, and motivation and retention for the association.  She began her Farm Credit career in 1997 as recruitment specialist, later served as director of training and development and was last year promoted to vice president - human resources. She graduated Magna Cum Laude with a Bachelor's degree in Agricultural Communications from the University of Kentucky and later obtained her Master's degree from the University of Louisville in Education (Occupational Training and Development).  She has since earned a Certificate in Essentials of Human Resource Management. In 2000, Hornback was named Outstanding Young Alumnus in the University of Kentucky's College of Agriculture.

Phil Kimmel - Senior Vice President - Credit and Chief Credit Officer

Kimmel leads the credit approval, special asset and appraisal functions for Farm Credit Services of Mid-America. He has over 30 years of agricultural lending experience within the Farm Credit System in Pennsylvania, the mid-west and northwest areas of the United States. Phil is a graduate of the Pennsylvania State University with a bachelor's degree in Agricultural Economics and Rural Sociology. In 2006, Kimmel received Purdue University's APEX Award, an honor given to recognize individuals who have made significant contributions to the school's Department of Agricultural Economics and who have made outstanding contributions in their fields.

David Lynn - Senior Vice President - Financial Services

Lynn's responsibilities include planning, organizing and leading the sales functions for Tennessee, Kentucky and southeast Indiana. He oversees a sales staff of approximately 300 employees. He began his career with Farm Credit Services in June, 1981, and has held several leadership positions during his 28 year tenure. Lynn is a member of the Tennessee Society of Farm Managers and Rural Appraisers. He graduated from the University of Tennessee, Knoxville in 1974 with a B.S. degree in Agriculture. He received his M.S. degree in Administration and Supervision from UT Knoxville in 1978.

Richard Poe - Senior Vice President - Financial Services

Poe oversees the management and sales of 43 FCS offices throughout Ohio, Indiana and northern Kentucky. He began his employment with Farm Credit in 1982 as a loan officer in Washington Court House, Ohio.  Over his career, he has held a number of credit, sales and management positions, in Ohio, Indiana, and Kentucky. He is a member and past president of the Louisville Ag Club as well as a past director for the Kentucky Ag Heritage Center Board and the Kentucky Council of Cooperatives. Poe received his bachelors and masters degrees from the University of Kentucky.  Additionally, he is a graduate of the Commercial Banking School of the South, at Louisiana State University and is a graduate of The Ohio State University’s L.E.A.D. program, a program designed to promote leadership in agriculture. 

Nancy Sparrow - General Counsel

Sparrow began her career with Farm Credit in 1986 as a Staff Attorney in the Legal Department of the Federal Land Bank. She joined the Legal Department of the Association in 1989 where she was promoted to Associate General Counsel. Sparrow became General Counsel in June of 2008. Her responsibilities include supervision of Association litigation, legal counsel on credit and operational issues, counsel to the Board, Election Officer, Conduct Officer, and Corporate Secretary. Sparrow earned her J.D. and BA from Catholic University of America in Washington DC.