Board of Directors 

Dan B. Ashby - Maryville, Tennessee

Dan Ashby is a farmer and a commercial pilot. He farms 121 acres of beef, hay and timber. As owner and manager of Rocky Top Farms, he is affiliated with the Foothills Farmers Cooperative and the Tennessee Cattlemen's Association. He volunteers with the Air Safety Network and is a former member of the Knoxville FCS Advisory Committee. He is a member of the boards of the University of Tennessee's Institute of Agriculture and the University of Tennessee's Chancellor Associates. Dan graduated with a Master of Science in Aerospace and Defense and obtained an MBA from the University of Tennessee. Additionally, he has a Six Sigma Green Belt and a Professional Supply Chain Certification from the University of Tennessee. He was awarded the Master Beef Producer designation with the University of Tennessee as well. Dan is a U.S. Navy veteran.

Barney Barnett - Shelbyville, Kentucky

Barney Barnett has been serving as the outside director since June, 1998 when he was appointed to the board. Previously, he owned Management Recruiters of Shelbyville, Inc. in Kentucky and held the title of President and Chief Executive Officer of the Farm Credit Bank of Louisville.  Barnett received his bachelors and masters degrees from the University of Kentucky.  Today, he and his wife, Mary Lou, reside in Shelbyville, Kentucky.

Bob Barton - Lexington, Kentucky

Bob Barton, in partnership with his brother, Jim, owns a 1,200-acre tobacco, corn, wheat and soybean operation in Kentucky’s Fayette and Scott counties.  Together, they background cattle and own a country grain elevator.   He and his wife, Janie, reside on a farm near Lexington, Kentucky and have two grown children:  Matt and Elizabeth and daughter-in-law, Jen. He has served as president of Fayette County Farm Bureau, as chairman of Fayette County Conservation District and Fayette County Extension and as director for UK National Alumni Board.  He is a member of St. Paul Catholic Church.Barton graduated from Lexington Catholic High School and received his bachelor of science degree from the University of Kentucky.He has served on the FCS board since 1998 and was recently chair of the board.  Additionally, he has served as chair of the audit committee.  He has served as director for the Farm Credit Council and is a former member of FCS Tellers Committee and the Lexington FCS advisory committee.

David Bates - Shepherdsville, Kentucky

David Bates owns a dairy operation and raises replacement heifers, corn, alfalfa, hay, wheat and oats on 300 acres in Bullitt County, Kentucky.  He and his wife, Sonia, have four children: David, Susan, Bryan and Kyle. Bates is a director for the Farm Bureau and a member of the Dairy Farmers of America Select Sires.  He is a member, teacher and song leader for Salem Church of Christ.  He graduated from Shepherdsville High School and attended the University of Louisville and Freed Hardeman University. He has served on the FCS board since 1988. While on the board, he has served on the Audit Committee.  He is a former director of the 1st Kentucky PCA, a former member of the Elizabethtown Advisory Committee and a former member of the Farm Credit Council.

Donald Blankenship of Murfreesboro, Tennessee

Donald is full time farmer raising vegetables, hay and row crops on 1,490 acres.  He also has 200 beef cattle. He is a county director for the Farm Bureau and is past vice president for the Tennessee Young Farmers and Ranchers. He was secretary-treasurer of Mid-States Produce and a member of the Farmers Co-op. He received his bachelor of science in agribusiness from Middle Tennessee State University.  He resides in Murfreesboro. Donald was a member of the Lebanon Advisory Committee and the 2007 Nominating Committee. Donald is currently serving as the FCS Board's Secretary.

Kevin Cox - Brazil, Indiana

Kevin is a full time farmer with 705 acres owned and 2,800 leased where he raises corn, soybeans, wheat, alfalfa and straw. Additionally, he finishes 100 feeder cattle annually. He is president of TST Farms, Inc., TST Trucking and TST LLC.  Kevin is currently serving as director for the Parke County REMC, president of the Farm Bureau Political Actions Committee and president of the Parke County Farm Bureau Board. Additionally, he won the Indiana Farm Bureau State Young Farmers Discussion Meet and competed at the national level. He is a deacon, Sunday School teacher, and music and choir director for Calvary Baptist Church in Brazil. He is a graduate of Van Buren High School.  He and his wife, Brenda, have three children: Trent, Sara and Trisha. Kevin has been an FCS member since the mid-1980s. Kevin is currently serving as the FCS Board's Vice Chair.

Ernie Diggs - Paris, Tennessee

Ernie Diggs owns 1,200 acres and rents an additional 1,300 acres where he farms row crops and has 30 beef cows. Diggs has served as a member of the American Soybean Association, the National Corn Growers Association and the Henry County Fair Board.  He has also served as Elder at the Sulphur Well Church of Christ.  He is a former board member of several agricultural groups including the Henry Farmers Cooperative, the Henry County Farm Bureau, and the Tennessee and National Tractor Pullers Boards.  He is also a former member of the Farm Service Agency County Committee.  Ernie has been named Conservationist of the Year by the Paris Chamber of Commerce, Outstanding Young Farmer by the Henry County Jaycees and has been the 1st place state winner for the National Corn Growers Assocation 10 times. He attended Henry County High School and the University of Tennessee at Martin. He and his wife, Janis, have four children: Jennifer, Clint, Wesley and Jo Ellen. He is a former member of the Dresden FCS advisory committee.

Roger Earley - Hillsboro, Ohio

Roger Earley operates a 1,800 acre corn, soybeans, wheat, oats, and hay operation in Hillsboro, Ohio along with his wife, Stella, and son, David. Under the name Earley Farms, they also have a 150 cow herd and sell brood stock, bred heifers and bulls. He was a director for the Highland County Farm Bureau and was a director and vice chair for the Highland County Landmark.  Additionally, he is a member of the Ohio Corn Growers Association, the Ohio Soybean Association, the Ohio Angus Association and the American Angus Association. He is a member of Hillsboro Church of Christ. Earley graduated Greenview High School and earned a degree at Southern State Community College. He has two grown children, David and Cathryn Jean. He has served on the FCS Board since 1994.  He is a former director for the Hillsboro FLB, and has formerly served on the Hillsboro FCS advisory committee, the FCS nominating committee and the FCS Board Governance committee. He also has represented Ohio on the Farm Credit Council board.  He is a former member of the FCS audit committee.

Kathryn Eschbacher-Timberlake – Mauckport, Indiana

Kathryn is a clerk for the Indiana Department of Child Services.  Additionally, she owns and leases 216 acres where she raises Registered Polled Hereford cattle, hay, corn and soybeans. As the owner/bookkeeper for Pilot Wheel Ranch, Kathryn is a member of the American and Indiana Hereford Associations, the National and Indiana Organization of Poll-ettes, the Indiana and Kentucky Hereford Women, the Harrison County Professional Women, the Harrison County Child and Protection Team, the Indiana Farm Bureau and Brandenburg United Methodist Church. She is a graduate of Corydon Central High School and received her bachelor of science in accounting from Sullivan University in Louisville, Kentucky.  Farm Credit experience: She has been a Farm Credit member since 1980.

Dan Flanagan - Campbellsville, Kentucky

Dan Flanagan is a full time farmer who owns a 400 acre farm and also leases 100 acres. On his farm, he raises soybeans, corn, and wheat.  He also manages six broiler houses and raises both wholesale and retail produce.  Dan is actively involved with the ministry at his church.  He served as the Deputy Commissioner for the Kentucky Department of Agriculture in 1990.  In 2005, he was selected as the “Agribusiness Person of the Year.”  Two years later, he was selected by the Soil Conservation Council as “Master Conservationist of the Year.” Flanagan received his bachelors degree from Campbellsville University. He also graduated from the University of Louisville where he received his Masters in Administration. Additionally, he received his masters degree in Pastoral Psychology and Counseling from Southern Baptist Theological Seminary.   He and his wife Ginny have two children, William and Matthew.  Dan has been a member of Farm Credit Services since 1985.

David E. Hahn - Huron County, Ohio

David Hahn was appointed to the board in 2007.  He is a faculty member in the College of Food, Agricultural and Environmental Sciences at The Ohio State University. He currently teaches the “Agricultural Cooperatives” course and is the faculty advisor to the Ohio student chapter of the National Agri-Marketing Association (NAMA) marketing team.  He also serves as a development specialist for the Ohio Cooperative Development Center at Piketon where outreach and technical assistance are provided to new and emerging cooperatives. He owns and manages a 650-acre grain farm in Huron County, Ohio.  He and his wife, Sarah, have three sons and one granddaughter.

Jimmy Mays - Scottsville, Kentucky

Jimmy Mays has been a member of the FCS board since October, 2000.  He served a previous term on the board from October, 1994 to October, 1999.   He has also served on the Nominating Committee for FCS.  He is a member of the American Angus Association and the Allen County Beef Club.  Mays owns 194 acres and leases 212 acres where he raises registered angus cattle and tobacco.  He and his wife, Dawn, live and farm in Scottsville, Kentucky.

Bill Patterson - Chesterland, Ohio

Bill Patterson was elected to the FCS board in October, 2004.  He owns 150 acres and operates a fruit farm market with his family in northeastern Ohio.  He is a member of the Geauga County Farm Bureau, the Ohio Fruit Growers Association and the Direct Agricultural Marketing Association.   He is a graduate of Ohio's LEAD Program - Class VII and received his bachelor of science in agricultural economics from The Ohio State University.   He and his wife, Mindy, have two sons.

Brandon Robbins – Cookeville, Tennessee

Brandon farms 1,350 acres where he has a cow calf operation with 400 momma cows and 200 feeder calves.  He is part-owner of R&R Farms and Mountain Farm International, LLC, an agriculture equipment dealership.   Brandon is a member of the Tennessee Farm Bureau and the Overton Farmers Cooperative.  He received his bachelor of science in agriculture business with a minor in computer information systems from Middle Tennessee State University. While at MTSU, he served as alumni vice president for Alpha Gamma Rho, an agricultural fraternity.  Brandon has one son: Weston.

George Stebbins - Englewood, Ohio

George Stebbins farms 1,590 acres of corn, soybeans and wheat with his brother, Tim.  They also buy and finish out 3,200 sew pigs annually. Stebbins and his wife, Carol, live in Englewood and are the parents of three grown daughters:  Anna, Linda and Katie.  He is active in his farm and church community.  He is past director and vice president of the Ohio Pork Producers Council and is a director on the Montgomery County Farm Bureau.  He is also the swine superintendent of the Montgomery County Junior Livestock Committee and a member of the Ohio Farm Bureau.  The Stebbins are members of Salem Church of the Brethren, where George previously served on the church board and was chairman of the stewarts commission.  He graduated from Northmont High School and received his associate’s degree in ag business from Clark State College. Before becoming a board member, Stebbins was a member of the Versailles FCS Advisory Committee.  He is currently serving as the FCS Board's chair.

Kaye Hurst Whitehead – Muncie, Indiana

Kaye is a full time farmer serving as president of Seldom Rest Farms, a 3,500-acre grain and 500 sow farrow-to-finish hog operation.  Kaye is an active member on a number of boards including the Ivy Tech Community College Board, the Indiana University Health Ball Memorial Hospital Board, the Delaware County Farm Bureau Board (currently chair) and the Harris Chapel Church Board.  She is a member of the Indiana Soybean and Indiana Corn Growers Associations.  Additionally, she served on the National and Indiana Pork Producers Boards where she was past chair at the state level, the Federal Reserve Board of Chicago Advisory on Agriculture, the Minnetrista Cultural Center Board, the Delaware County Sherriff’s Merit Board, the ASCS State Board and the Meat Export Federation Board.  Kaye received her associate in science and bachelor of science in agriculture from the University of Kentucky. Formerly from the Bardstown, Kentucky area, Kaye graduated from Bethlehem High School. She and her husband Bill have two grown children, Eugene and Lucy.

Tony Wolfe- Hazleton, Indiana

Tony Wolfe owns 330 acres and leases an additional 1,180 acres where he raises corn, soybeans, wheat and beef. He retired as Field Representative for the Indiana Farm Bureau in 2008. Today, he serves as a member of the Gibson County Council and is a member of several agricultural and community organizations including the Gibson County Farm Bureau, the Indiana Association of Counties, the Gibson County Chamber of Commerce, the Shiloh Church Cemetery Board and Selective Service Board.  He served on the Ag Committee for Congressman Elsworth and the Indiana National Guard. Tony attended Princeton High School and the University of Evansville. Before joining the FCS board, Tony served on the Evansville FCS Advisory Committee. He and is wife attend Mt. Olive Methodist Church.

Andrew Wilson - Somerset, Ohio

Andrew Wilson is a full time farmer who operates a 750-acre corn, soybean, wheat, and hay operation.  As a contract grower for Heimerl Farms Ltd, he has a wean-to-breeding and a wean-to-finish gilt operation.  He also operates a cow/calf operation independently. Andrew is a member at Fairfield Christian Church where he has served as a deacon.  He is a member of the Farm Bureau where he has served in many capacities.  After becoming a county member, he served as a county board member and was the chair of the Promotion and Education committee.  He was also a committee member of the Young Farmers and Ranchers and served two terms as a state board director.  He attended Wilmington College of Ohio where he received a bachelor of science degree in agribusiness with an emphasis in swine production. He and his wife, Johanne, have three children: Jaxon, Jenna, Jorge and Journey. Andrew is a former member of the Cambridge Advisory Committee.