Source: PRESS RELEASE, 11/22/16

In an organizational meeting on October 26, 2016, the Carolina Farm Credit Board of Directors re-elected L. Kim Starnes as Chairman.  W. Rex Bell was re-elected to serve as Vice-Chairman.

L. Kim Starnes, of Salisbury, N.C. is a full time farmer whose operation consists of row crops, beef cattle, and poultry.  Mr. Starnes has been a member of the Carolina Farm Credit board for 8 years, and currently serves as vice-chairman.  He is a member of the Rowan County Cattlemen’s Association where he currently serves as President, Rowan County Ag Advisory Board, North Carolina Angus Association, and Miller Ferry Volunteer Fire Department, where he serves as Secretary and Treasurer.  He is also an active member at Trading Ford Baptist Church where he serves as a Deacon and Sunday school teacher, and is a member of the North Carolina Cattlemen’s Association and Gideon’s International.

W. Rex Bell, of Statesville, N.C. is a full time farmer whose operation consists of corn, soybeans, hay, and wheat.  He has been a member of the Carolina Farm Credit board for 8 years.  Mr. Bell is a graduate of North Carolina State University, where he received his Bachelor of Science in Animal Science.  Mr. Bell is an active member of Oakdale Baptist Church where he serves as a Deacon and Sunday school teacher.

Carolina Farm Credit is a stockholder-owned cooperative providing financing to full and part-time farmers and agricultural-related businesses and also provides financing for the construction and purchase of homes in 54 counties through 32 branch offices.  Other financial services available are credit life insurance, appraisal services, leasing programs and financial planning.
For 100 years Farm Credit has been supporting rural communities and agriculture with reliable, consistent credit and financial services.

Carolina Farm Credit serves over 9,200 members with loans outstanding totaling more than $1.4 billion.  The association’s territory covers the western half of North Carolina, with branch offices located in Albemarle, Asheboro, Asheville, Boone, Browns Summit, Burnsville, Carthage, Concord, Conover, Ellerbe, Graham, Hendersonville, Jefferson, Lenoir, Lexington, Lincolnton, Monroe, Murphy, Pilot Mountain, Roxboro, Rural Hall, Salisbury, Shelby, Siler City, Sparta, Spindale, Statesville, Taylorsville, Waynesville, Wilkesboro, Yadkinville, and Yanceyville.

Carolina Farm Credit was recognized as a 2015 Best Employer in North Carolina.  The list of the Best Employers in North Carolina was created by Business North Carolina, the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM) – NC State Council and Best Companies Group.

Directors for Carolina Farm Credit are L. Kim Starnes, Chairman, Salisbury; W. Rex Bell, Vice-Chairman, Statesville; John M. Barnard, Statesville; E. Bernard Beck, Seagrove; Mark A. Bray, Lawsonville; David M. Coltrane, Pleasant Garden; Susie J. Gambill, Sparta; Joseph A. Lail, Shelby; Clark M. Newlin, Haw River; Thomas E. Porter, Jr., Concord;  Tony L. Ragan, Sanford; D. Kaleb Rathbone, Waynesville; Lewis E. Smith, Lincolnton; Vickie N. Smitherman, East Bend; Dr. Alton Thompson, Summerfield.