Director Candidates

Lisa and her husband, Matt, own and operate a 956-acre owned and rented grain farm that produces corn and soybeans. Lisa graduated with an associate’s degree from The Ohio State University’s Agricultural Technical Institute. Her previous ag-related employment includes 12 years at a local cooperative and two years with the USDA’s Farm Service Agency. She is currently employed as an office coordinator at Simplot Grower Solutions and also serves as the Venice Township’s fiscal officer. Lisa has relatives (brothers, sister in laws, sister, brother in law, nephew) who are Association stockholders with loans. “Having grown up on a family farm, marrying into a family farming operation and having experience as a crop adviser at the local co-op, working hand in hand with many family farmers, I am very passionate about the preservation of the true family farm,” Lisa said. “In addition, I would like to see young people have the opportunity to pursue their aspirations in farming.”

Bret, along with his father, Gene, and son Chet, own and operate a grain farm, Margraf Family Farms, producing corn, soybeans, wheat and hay. Additionally, Bret with his wife, Beth, and sons Jace and Kael operate a grassfed finished cow/calf operation utilizing rotational grazing management. Overall, Bret’s family consists of 3 sons and a daughter, Aubrey. Bret is employed at Seneca Conservation District as the Business Manager. He also is employed at Mohawk Local Schools as a wrestling coach. Bret has relatives (parents, brother, sister in law) who are Association stockholders with loans. Bret states: “A few years ago I was selected to serve on the nominating committee for Seneca County. While doing so, I learned of the duties and responsibilities of board members and it piqued my interest in the position.”

Michael and his wife, Jill, are a part of an 1,100-acre family operation that produces corn, soybeans, wheat, hay and pasture. They also run a 25-head Angus based cow-calf operation. Michael earned a bachelor’s degree in agriculture from The Ohio State University. Michael has relatives (sister, brother in law) who are Association stockholders with loans. Michael has no decision-making authority on any of the accounts. “As I begin the fourth quarter of my farming career, I am transitioning some of the farm into a general partnership with a younger farm family. A top priority of the board has been transition succession and the YBS program. Our next generation is the future, and we must place a great importance on succession planning for the overall well-being of our family farms,” Michael said. “I am proud of AgCredit’s continued financial growth, but even more in how we conduct business with our members and serve our rural communities.”

Joel, his wife, Mary Beth, and Joel’s parents, Fred and Becky, run Albright Jerseys LLC, a dairy operation. They milk 600 Jerseys with Lely A4 Robots. To produce enough feed for the dairy cattle, the Albright’s own and operate 850 acres on which they raise corn, alfalfa, soybeans and wheat. Joel has relatives (parents) who are Association stockholders with loans.“I am honored to be nominated for the AgCredit Board of Directors and look forward to the opportunity to serve the AgCredit members,” Joel said. “Having served on the American Jersey Cattle Association Board, the Ohio FFA Board of Trustees and being an Agriculture Education Instructor for 17 years has provided a variety of experiences that will enable me to be prepared to serve the best interests of the members.”

David has been in a partnership with his brother, Rick, on a dairy and grain farm for the past 40 years. The farm is an LLC consisting of 1,200 acres, 600 of which are owned. The brothers farm corn and soybeans. David has relatives (a brother, sister in law) who are Association stockholders with loans. David has no decision-making authority on any of the accounts. “It has been a pleasure to serve as director for your Association the past nine years. I’m proud of the growth and diversification of this association that has made AgCredit a premier lender in the Farm Credit System,” David said. “With my experience on the board, I feel I can help maintain the success and growth of the Association.”

Philip with his wife, Mary, own and operate a grain farm with 80 owned acres and 1,380 rented acres that produce popcorn, soybeans, and wheat. Philip is the owner and managing member of the Weilnau Family Farms LLC. Philip has relatives (parents) who are Association stockholders with loans. “I love learning, and I love new challenges. Serving on this board would give me an opportunity to engage in both while using and further developing my existing skills to assist and improve a company which shares my values,” Philip said.