For those of you who are regular readers of the President’s Message, you may have been somewhat surprised to see a different picture on the side of this article. That is understandable since Rick Sanger has served as President and CEO for the past twelve years, and you are accustomed to seeing his picture.
Change is difficult as it tends to cause uncertainty and a degree of anxiety, even when we know it is coming. Since assuming the President and CEO role, I have been asked about change, what my vision is for Premier, and what to expect from me as President and CEO.
Before I address those questions, I would like to provide you with a little background. Each year, the Board of Directors and management team get together for a strategic planning session. One of our annual activities is to review our Core Values and ensure they remain relevant as guiding principles for our underlying business philosophy. Our Core Values are:
- Commitment to Agriculture and Rural Communities
- Success of our Member-Owners
- Value Employees
- Stockholder Ownership and Control
- Commitment to Excellent Customer Service
These Core Values have remained consistent since they were put in place many years ago. By following these principles, Premier Farm Credit has been successful in the past and I expect this to continue in the future.
This gets us back to the questions posed above. While you may see or notice some minor changes, from a member perspective it will be ‘business as usual’. One small change you will notice is how we use this space in the newsletter. Going forward, you’ll see highlights about employees, interesting news and things we think you’ll find relevant. I’ll still be sharing a President’s Message on a periodic basis, just not in every issue.
Behind the scenes, we will continue to look for opportunities that make us better or more efficient. We will keep focusing on the success of our customers by providing competitive loan products combined with a meaningful patronage program. We will expect to achieve solid financial results and maintain the local ownership and control of your Association. And we will continue to be a strong community partner.
I am deeply committed to the continued long-term success of Premier Farm Credit. As your President and CEO, you can expect my unwavering commitment to continue the strong tradition of leadership we have benefited from in the past. I invite you to stop in or call me anytime if you ever have something you want to discuss or just want to visit.
