BOARD OF DIRECTORS APPOINTS BILL DAVIS AS CEO
Davis brings a wealth of credit and leadership experience to Oklahoma AgCredit. Since April 2022, Davis has offered agribusiness and farm business consulting services to agricultural financing institutions. Previously, Davis served as Executive Vice President of CoBank’s Farm Credit Banking Group since 2018. He was responsible for delivery to 22 affiliated Farm Credit associations with the banking services and products offered to Farm Credit partners by CoBank. Davis joined CoBank as Chief Credit Officer in 2017. CoBank is a cooperative bank serving agribusinesses, rural infrastructure providers and Farm Credit associations throughout the United States, including Oklahoma AgCredit.
Before CoBank, Davis was Chief Credit Officer for Farm Credit Services of America, the largest association in the Farm Credit System, where he also had roles as Senior Vice President – Credit and as Director of Credit Underwriting. Additionally, Davis served as Chief Credit Officer for Kansas-based Frontier Farm Credit and held senior credit positions at several Farm Credit institutions in Missouri earlier in his career.
“The Board of Directors welcomes the vast knowledge Mr. Davis has to offer Oklahoma AgCredit, both from his previous CoBank roles as well as his Farm Credit association experience,” said Board Chairman Gary Bledsoe. Acting CEO Steve Davenport is returning to his Chief Credit Officer responsibilities. The Board appreciates Davenport’s commitment to perform CEO duties in addition to his CCO role during April and May 2023 while the Board worked to identify the next CEO following the resignation of former CEO Patrick Zeka at the end of March 2023.
“We are eager for employees to begin working with Mr. Davis to continue providing excellent lending experiences to borrowers,” Bledsoe said. Davis shares that enthusiasm, saying “I am very grateful for the opportunity to lead Oklahoma AgCredit through its next steps in delivering exceptional service and value to our members.”
