Board of Directors & Management - Governance

Board of Directors

The Southern AgCredit Board of Directors is composed of ten members. Eight directors are customers of Southern AgCredit and are elected by the rest of the voting membership to represent the geographic regions that comprise the association’s operating territory. Two directors are elected by the other members of the board and cannot be customers, stockholders, employees or agents of any Farm Credit institution. At least one outside director is intended to bring specific financial and accounting experience to the board.

Kevin Rhodes, Chairman
Cattle and Poultry Famer
Pelahatchie, MS
Bryan “Scott” Bell, Vice Chairman
Cattle, Poultry and Row-crop Farmer
Lena, MS
Reggie Allen
Timber and Cattle Farmer
Brookhaven, MS
John “Van” Bennett
Cattle and Timber Farmer
Spearsville, LA
Lonnie “Gene” Boykin
Soybean, Corn and Timber Farmer
Rolling Fork, MS
Steve Dockens, CPA
Accounting and Consulting
Ocean Springs, MS
Charles “Allen” Eubanks
Vegetable Farmer
Lucedale, MS
Thomas C. “T.C.” Hall
Cattle and Timber Farmer
Gloster, LA
Larry W. Killebrew
Cotton, Corn, Soybean and Cattle Farmer
Lexington, MS
Linda Staniszewski, CPA
Retired Accounting Instructor
Hattiesburg, MS

Senior Management

Southern AgCredit’s Senior Management Team consists of experts from a variety of disciplines, including agricultural finance, banking, customer service, securities, accounting and more.

Phillip Morgan
Chief Executive Officer
Ted Murkerson
SVP Chief Credit Officer
Ken Hobart
SVP/Chief Collateral Risk Officer
Richard Palmer, CPA
Chief Financial Officer
Amanda Hudson
VP Chief Information Officer
Jeffrey M. Williams
General Counsel

Core Governance Principles

The Southern AgCredit Board of Directors is honored to serve as a member of the governing board in representation of the Association stockholders. The board deeply understands the Farm Credit mission of Southern AgCredit and the commitment to rural communities and its stockholders. As such, the board believes its core objectives in its fiduciary duty as a governing body should be formalized and provided for all board members, employees, stockholders, service providers and agents to review and become aware. Click here to see our Core Governance Principles.

Governance Committee

The Governance Committee’s primary objective is to monitor significant developments in the law, regulation and practice of corporate governance. The Committee will also review the duties and responsibilities of directors and assist with the development and implementation of the Association’s corporate governance principles. The Committee is responsible for areas that pertain to the Board’s development, training, outside director selection process, policy direction, Standards of Conduct issues, and other recommendations to be made to the entire Board relative to Board Governance strategies. Click here to see our Governance Committee Charter.

Audit Committee

Southern AgCredit’s Board of Directors has an independent audit committee. To ensure independence and objectivity, no committee member can be an employee or officer of Southern AgCredit. In addition, to ensure this committee has the expertise needed to carry out this very important board oversight responsibility, a member of this committee is the outside director who is appointed on the basis of their financial and audit experience. An outside director will always serve as the committee chair. Click here to see our Audit Committee Charter.

Whistle Blower Hotline

A Means for Reporting Wrongful Behavior

The maintenance of high standards for honesty, integrity, impartiality and ethical conduct by employees, directors and agents* is essential to ensure Association performance and to maintain public confidence. The Association needs to know of instances where high standards are not being maintained. If you are aware of fraudulent, unlawful, or unethical behavior by our employees, directors or agents, this hotline may be used to report such information – use the phone number below or click on the link below to submit a report. The information you provide through this program is strictly confidential, and your right to anonymity is guaranteed. The hotline is NOT a substitute for routine communications within our organization between Associates and their supervisors and managers, particularly as to workplace duties. Likewise, it does not replace communications with HR staff about benefit issues or other job-related issues. The Whistle Blower Hotline is an additional communication tool for specific types of situations, and it is provided because we believe that it is a good business practice to do so. Regular business matters that do not require anonymity should be directed to the employee’s supervisor and should not be submitted using this service.

Option 1:

Call the Whistle Blower Hotline at (844) 805-0097
(Toll-free within the United States, Guam, Puerto Rico and Canada)

Option 2:

File a report at http://www.southernagcredit.ethicspoint.com

*Agents is defined by Farm Credit Administration as “any person, other than a director or employee, who currently represents a System institution in contact with third parties or who currently provides professional services to a System institution, such as legal, accounting, appraisal and other similar services.”