About Us - Board Members
Interested in Serving?
AgCountry Farm Credit Services is always on the lookout for qualified individuals to run for our Board of Directors and serve on our Nominating Committee.
If you have an interest in either, please fill out our Candidate Interest Form.
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Greg Sabolik
Chair of the Board -
Lynn Pietig
Vice Chair -
Leif Aakre
Director -
Suzanne Allen
Appointed Outside Director -
Bryan Ankenbauer
Director -
Justin Dagen
Director -
Kurt Elliott
Director -
Mark Ellison
Director -
Ed Hegland
Director -
Thomas (Tom) Henry
Director -
James (Jim) Jarvis
Director -
Karen Kerner
Director -
Michael Long
Director -
Greg Nelson
Director -
William (Bill) Oemichen
Appointed Outside Director -
Steve Perdue
Director -
Curt Trost
Director -
Mary Kay Van Der Geest
Director -
Dale Zahradka
Director -
Mike Zenker
Director
Greg lives near Kensington, Minnesota, and took over the family dairy operation in 2000. He also runs a crop operation in partnership with his brother. They raise corn, soybeans, and alfalfa. Greg was elected to the board of directors in 2013.
Contact Greg: Greg.Sabolik@agcountry.com
Lynn Pietig has lived and worked on a farm her entire life. She and her husband have lived on the farm she grew up on in Morgan, Minnesota, since 1988, where they raise field corn, sweet corn, soybeans, peas, and beef cattle. She has owned and operated a tax and accounting practice since 1989. Lynn joined the board of directors in 2015.
Contact Lynn: Lynn.Pietig@agcountry.com
Suzanne Allen is President of Allen CFO Services, a fractional CFO consulting business. She has served as Chief Financial Officer of Unity Holdings, Inc, and Compudyne. She also had a variety of roles at Otter Tail Corporation including Vice President and Treasurer, Interim Vice President of Finance at T.O. Plastics. and as Vice President of Finance for Aevenia. Before joining Otter Tail Corporation, Allen worked as Treasurer of wireless carrier Rural Cellular Corporation, Treasurer of Nash Finch Company, and Assistant Treasurer of Valspar. She holds a bachelor of business administration degree from the University of Minnesota-Duluth and a master of business administration degree from the University of St. Thomas. She also serves on the board of directors of American Transmission Company.
Contact Suzanne: Suzanne.Allen@agcountry.com
Bryan was elected to the Board of directors in 2005. He manages and operates a small grain farm raising wheat, canola, flax, barley, corn, and soybeans. He occasionally helps his father and brother with the cattle part of the operation. He graduated from Kenmare High School before attending Mayville State and Minot State to earn a Bachelor of Science degree in mathematics teaching. He is currently a member of the North Dakota Farmers Union, the North Dakota Dry Pea and Lentil Association, the North Central Marketing Club, and the Canola Growers Association. He is a past director for the U. S. Durum Growers Association and County Farmers Union Board. He is a volunteer with the Kenmare Community Youth Group, a boys basketball coach at Bowbells High School, and involved at the Kenmare Church of the Nazarene.
Contact Bryan: Bryan.Ankenbauer@agcountry.com
Justin lives near Karlstad, Minnesota, where he has farmed since 1975. Justin farms with his two sons, who represent the 6th generation to operate Dagen Heritage Farms. They have a diversified cash crop operation that specializes in seed potatoes. Justin was first elected to the board of directors in 2018.
Contact Justin: Justin.Dagen@agcountry.com
Kurt is from Blanchard, North Dakota. He began farming in 1988. He currently farms corn and soybeans, is a part of Tri-E Simmentals (purebred operation), and also has cattle in his family's 3,200 head feedlot. He and his wife also operate a vineyard as their hobby. Kurt has served on the board of directors since 2016.
Contact Kurt: Kurt.Elliott@agcountry.com
Mark is from Elbow Lake, Minnesota, where he began farming in 1983. Mark and his wife are part of the fourth generation to operate on the family farm in Grant County, and do so along with his brother and parents. The operation has evolved from a crop/livestock operation to a corn and soybean farm. Mark is both a former Chairman and Vice Chairman. Mark is a past chairman of the 7th Farm Credit District Federation and Minnesota Farm Credit Federation, and has served on the AgriBank District Farm Credit Federation and on the AgriBank District Farm Credit Council. Mark has served on the board of directors since 2005.
Contact Mark: Mark.Ellison@agcountry.com
Ed Hegland is owner and manager of Hegland Farms of Appleton, Inc., a cash grain farm in Lac Qui Parle County, Minnesota. He began farming in 1992 as part of a family farm corporation with his parents. They raise corn, soybeans, and wheat using strip-till, no-till, and other conservation measures. He's a member of, and has held leadership roles in, a variety of ag-related associations and organizations. Ed was first elected to the board of directors in 2012.
Contact Ed: Ed.Hegland@agcountry.com
Tom was elected to the board of directors 2010. He is a self-employed grain farmer. His farming operation raises hard red spring wheat, soybeans, and occasionally barley, peas, flax, or sunflowers. He is a member of St. Andrew's Catholic Church, Knights of Columbus, North Dakota Grain Growers, U.S. Durum Growers, North Dakota Soybean Association, LAND, and Northwest Land Owner's Association. Tom currently serves as president of the Bottineau County Farm Bureau and secretary /treasurer of Russell Grain Storage Condominium, a grain storage entity, in conjunction with Border Ag and Energy. His principal occupation has been farming for the past 37 years.
Contact Tom: Thomas.Henry@agcountry.com
Jim Jarvis is from Wautoma, Wisconsin, where he began farming with his wife in 1973. They were dairy farmers for 35 years, and also raised beef cattle (cow/calf) and Belgian draft horses. They currently farm with their son, raising small grains, hay, and timber. He has served as chair of the Wisconsin Farm Credit Legislative Committee, the AgriBank District Farm Credit PAC Committee, and the AgriBank District Nominating Committee. Jim was first elected to the board of directors in 2008.
Contact Jim: Jim.Jarvis@agcountry.com
Karen Kerner is from Phillips, Wisconsin. Along with her husband, the couple started their own Angus cow/calf operation in 1994. Over time, the farm has grown to include help from her two kids and her brother-in-law. Today, they grow a grass mix hay forage, oats, soybeans, and corn for feed. They also finish out their own feeder calves to provide a direct-to-consumer meat line under Deer Creek Angus LLC. Karen was first elected to the board of directors in 2021.
Contact Karen: Karen.Kerner@agcountry.com
Michael lives near Berlin, North Dakota, where he began farming with his dad on a diverse dairy in 1980. They ran the dairy until 2000 when they built up the beef cow/calf herd and built a feedlot, which he currently operates. He also raises corn, soybeans, and alfalfa. Michael has served on the Board of Directors since 1997, and is a member of the North Dakota Farm Credit Council.
Contact Michael: Michael.Long@agcountry.com
Greg and his family live near Milnor, North Dakota, where he grew up on a dairy and small grain farm. He graduated from North Dakota State University in 1993 and started farming full time with his dad, making it a fourth-generation family farm. He raises wheat, soybeans, and corn. He joined the Board of Directors in 2008.
Contact Greg: Greg.Nelson@agcountry.com
Bill is a senior researcher in national security and food systems risk affiliated with the University of Wisconsin-Madison College of Agricultural and Life Sciences and Law School. He is an attorney licensed to practice in Wisconsin, Minnesota, and Alberta (Canada). He is a former senior leader of the Wisconsin and Minnesota state agriculture departments and of the Wisconsin Department of Health Services. Bill chairs the board of trustees of Wisconsin’s $7.3 billion College Savings Program Fund, is Board Treasurer for Group Health Cooperative, is a member of the FCCS Board, and is President of the New Glarus, Wisconsin School Board. Finally, Bill is a PhD dissertation candidate in agricultural risk at the University of Saskatchewan.
Contact Bill: Bill.Oemichen@agcountry.com
Steve was elected to the Board of directors in 2009. He manages and operates a small grain farm raising wheat, canola, flax, barley, corn, and soybeans. He occasionally helps his father and brother with the cattle part of the operation. He holds a business administration degree from Dickinson State University. He serves as director on the AgriBank District Farm Credit Council board and U.S. Durum Growers Association. He also serves as a trustee on the church board.
Contact Steve: Steven.Perdue@agcountry.com
Mary Kay Van Der Geest lives in Merrill, Wisconsin. She and her husband began farming in 1969 with 17 cows and a wood stall barn. Over the years they have evolved to now milk approximately 3,000 cows. The Dairy operates as a corporation with her son and their long-time herd manager, where Mary manages the day-to-day business and financial operations. They also grow corn, alfalfa, wheat, and soybeans on approximately 5,500 acres of owned and rented land. Mary Kay was first elected to the board in 2008.
Contact Mary Kay: Marykay.Vandergeest@agcountry.com
Dale Zahradka of Lankin, North Dakota, began farming in 1986. He and his wife raise a combination of cash grains with assistance from their children. Dale also owns a grain elevator that does custom drying of local crops. He has served on the Board of Directors since 2002 and has been a past chairman and vice chairman of the Board.
Contact Dale: Dale.Zahradka@agcountry.com
Mike was elected to the Board of Directors in 2015. He began farming in 2008 with his brother near Gackle, North Dakota, where they currently raise corn, soybeans, and barley. Mike has several years of experience in the finance industry and has operated his own seed dealership since 2012.
Contact Mike: Mike.Zenker@agcountry.com
