STATESVILLE, NC – Carolina Farm Credit CEO, Vance C. Dalton, Jr. and other Farm Credit representatives from across the country will join U.S. Rep. Alma Adams (NC-12) and the bipartisan Congressional HBCU Caucus next week to officially participate in the HBCU Partnership Challenge and advocate for HBCUs on Capitol Hill.
Leaders from across Farm Credit will join those from Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) for the third annual HBCU STEAM Day of Action on March 3 and 5. Together, they will meet with Republican and Democratic Members of Congress in the House and Senate. More than 50 HBCUs, organizations, technology companies and industry leaders will participate in these days of advocacy.
“I am excited that Farm Credit is joining the Bipartisan HBCU Caucus’ HBCU Partnership Challenge,” said Adams, founder and co-chair of the HBCU Caucus. “Farm Credit recognizes that diversity creates a stronger workforce and that HBCUs play a critical role in creating the business leaders of the future.”
“Farm Credit is committed to deepening its engagement with HBCUs, and participating in this partnership challenge provides a great opportunity to strengthen those relationships,” said Farm Credit Council President and CEO Todd Van Hoose. “Many Farm Credit institutions offer scholarship programs for HBCU students, engage in curriculum building and recruit directly from these colleges and universities. Through our participation in this challenge, we will elevate our partnerships and find new opportunities to develop the next generation of diverse leaders in agriculture.”
“Thank you to Farm Credit for your leadership in being the first agriculture organization to participate in the HBCU Partnership Challenge. Addressing the issue of diversity and inclusion in the workplace is critical, and I’m encouraged that the agriculture industry has tapped this exemplary pool of talent,” Rep. David Scott (GA-13), a member of the caucus, said.
“I appreciate Farm Credit taking the HBCU Partnership Challenge. Engaging with HBCUs, like Fort Valley State University which borders my district, opens doors for those students and helps diversify workplaces across the country. I look forward to watching as Farm Credit and others increase partnerships with HBCUs and develop our future leaders,” Rep. Austin Scott (GA-08), a member of the caucus, said.
For more information on Congresswoman Adams, or to RSVP for HBCU STEAM Day, please contact Sam Spencer (Sam.Spencer@mail.house.gov).
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 30 branch offices. Other financial services available are credit life insurance, appraisal services, leasing programs and financial planning.
For over 100 years, Farm Credit has been supporting rural communities and agriculture with reliable, consistent credit and financial services.
Carolina Farm Credit serves over 11,000 members with loans outstanding totaling more than $1.7 billion. The association’s territory covers the western half of North Carolina, with branch offices located in Albemarle, Asheboro, Asheville, 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, Wilkesboro, Yadkinville, and Yanceyville.
Directors for Carolina Farm Credit are David M. Coltrane, Chairman, Pleasant Garden; Vickie N. Smitherman, Vice-Chair, East Bend; John M. Barnard, Statesville; E. Bernard Beck, Seagrove; W. Rex Bell, Statesville; Mark A. Bray, Lawsonville; Leslie G. Sparks, DVM, Sparta; Joseph A. Lail, Shelby; Clark M. Newlin, Haw River; Thomas E. Porter, Jr., Concord; Eric McPherson, Snow Camp; D. Kaleb Rathbone, Waynesville; Lewis E. Smith, Lincolnton; L. Kim Starnes, Salisbury; Dr. Alton Thompson, Summerfield.