Lunch with Bob
Change. It’s all around. I can’t escape it. Even when I turned on the radio on my way home from work last night, there was David Bowie singing “Changes”. Bowie wasn’t the first or the last to philosophize on change. A long time ago, a Greek philosopher, Heraclitus said, “The only thing that is constant is change”. I guess that’s why I can’t escape it.
We’re in the midst of change. Our market place has been changing. A focus on local foods, knowing the producer, knowing what you eat has developed a solid footing in ag production in our area. As a mission focused lender, we need to respond. The financial services industry is dealing with the aftermath of the Great Recession. Regulations are changing and will be changing for the foreseeable future. As a regulated lender, we need to respond. Leadership and staffing changes occur throughout MidAtlantic as part of the natural life cycle of our business. As an organization with a mission commitment to be dependable, we need to respond.
One of the phrases in Bowie’s song is “turn and face the strange”. And it seems like much of what we’re facing is strange. It’s different and not always comfortable for us. New rules for perfecting lines on collateral, new rules for disclosures to customers, new requirements from IRS for expense accounting. And, as the late night infomercial says, “but wait, there’s more”. And there will be more, most if not all of it out of our control.
What we do control is our response. An organization like ours is mission focused and commits to giving our customers the best. We do it efficiently, safely, soundly and do it in a way that is dependable today and for all the todays that are yet to come. We step up and respond. We turn and face the strange and do what needs to be done even though it’s not easy.
As I think about our mission statement, it strikes me that if I could substitute only one word for it, CONSTANT would be a good choice.
And we know what the philosopher said is constant.
A Day to Unwine
Unwine - that's what happens when you unwind with wine. Jamee Elliott (Georgetown), Martha Branham (Pocomoke), Sharon Perdue (Salisbury), and Marlo Liddle (Pocomoke) give a salute to a great administrative professionals day touring Bordeleau Winery.
Wedding Bells
Gary Stepanchick's (Lancaster) son, Tyler and his new bride, Lauren tied the knot on May 18. Tyler and Lauren are pictured here with the rest of the family - From L to R: Gary's son Jordan, wife, Karen, daughter Morgan, and Gary.
A Nice Place
Bonnie Ogg’s (Frederick) granddaughter, Hailey, participated in her very first horse show. She was awarded 6th place in two separate events.
District Champs
Mary Miller’s (Winchester) daughter, Sarah Miller (4th from right) was part of the Little League Senior Softball team who won their District Championship from Clarke County. The team ended up 4th at the VA State Senior Softball tournament.
60 is Nifty
At least that 's what we told Sharon Perdue (Salisbury) who celebrated her 60th birthday on April 13.
A Real Barnstormer
Tara Ison (Lancaster) and Karla Buchanan (Lancaster) get cozy with the Lancaster Barnstormers' mascot, Cylo, at the Penn's region's summer outing on June 13.
Meet Jenna Mae
Congratulations to Jane Lalik (Bel Air) and her husband Rob. Jane's step-daughter, Rachel had her baby, Jenna Mae, on Friday, March 29, 2013 at 4:45 pm. She weighed 7 lbs and was 20" long.
Clubbing It
From left, Stuart (Salisbury) & Beth Cooper, Jason Belleau & Jamee Elliott (Georgetown), Helen (Salisbury) & Bill Pusey, and David & Sharon Perdue (Salisbury) enjoy classic “ballpark food” in the Clubhouse prior to the start of the Oriole's game.
Don't Judge a Book by its Cover
by Angel Adams (Salisbury)
Loan officer, Zach Evans (Salisbury), started with MidAtlantic in April 2009 as a marketing intern. Right before I was scheduled to interview him for the marketing intern position, I (like all thorough managers) decided to check out his Facebook page. Of course, I only had privileges to view his profile picture, but that's usually enough to form a first impression. There was Zach, all punked out playing the drums. Yikes! I was concerned. Was this really someone who wanted to sit at a desk? Or would he rather be rocking out to Led Zepplin?
Not being one to judge a book by its cover, I went through with the interview. I thought, maybe there was a polished professional somewhere there underneath all that punk-rock hair and tattoos.
I was not disappointed. When Zach came in for the interview, much to my surprise, he was spit-polished in a business suit. I said, “Wow you don’t look anything like your profile picture on Facebook”. Now it was Zach’s turn to be concerned! “Yikes”, his expression said although he quickly answered “That was a Halloween costume!”
It was only a few minutes in to the interview and the Facebook picture was quickly forgotten. Zach told me about his work experience that started in elementary school when he delivered newspapers. At age 10, he won an all-expense paid five-day, four night trip to Disney World for signing on the most new subscribers in Anne Arundel County via door-to-door solicitation. In 9th grade he began door-to-door sales of windows, siding, roofing, and doors for Homefix Corporation. By 11th grade he was handling recruiting, training and managing a sales or “canvassing” crew of 4-6 of his peers. Now I don’t know about you, but in 11th grade, I could barely manage myself!
Anyway, Zach was definitely a good hire. He did an amazing job as a marketing intern. He wasn’t “just” an intern but a real contributing member of our team. That was evident to me, as well as those who worked with him. Which is why, when a loan officer position came up in October of 2010, Zach was hired for the position. He had just (and I do mean just!) earned his Marketing Degree.
You'd think that Zach would be overwhelmed being just out of college and learning a new job. Not Zach. True to his character, Zach continued to push forward with his education and just recently earned his MBA at Salisbury University. Zach says, "My goal is to have a management position and pursuing my masters degree was pivitol in achieving that goal someday."
Zach lives with his girlfriend, Chesley (who is a school teacher) in Fruitland, MD. They have a 6 year old “daughter” named Cricket who is actually a Pit-bull Boxer mix. In his free time, Zach is an avid sports fan participating when/where he can and he enjoys hanging out with friends and family.
If you'd like to get to know more about Zach, he says you are welcome to friend him on Facebook. Just don't judge him by his profile picture!
Jarod Fisher
by Donna Dawson (Quarryville)
Jarod Fisher is a loan officer trainee in the Penn Region working from the Shoemakersville office. He graduated from Kutztown University in Kutztown, Pennsylvania in 2009 where he earned a bachelor’s degree in elementary education. Jarod held several positions prior to joining MAFC – but was looking for a career change. “I have very much enjoyed my brief time here at Farm Credit. Working with farmers has been rewarding and my coworkers are knowledgeable, friendly, and helpful. After bouncing around between different employers/jobs over the last four years, I am looking forward to a long and rewarding career as part of the Farm Credit family.”
Jarod resides in Robesonia (Berks County) with his wife Melissa and their three children: Drew, Grace and Addilyn. He is a member of Calvary Baptist Church of Reading where he serves as a youth leader. In his spare time he enjoys wrestling and paintball.
Dawn Sager: Did Someone Dial 911?
by Yatta Yates (Dover)
Our newest customer service specialist, Dawn Sager (Woodstock), is no stranger to emergency calls. As a previous 911 operator she has experience helping people through some difficult situations which require a lot of patience and skills. This experience served her well as she worked for Shentel in sales, marketing and customer service for 16 years, but spent 10 years of that time in the wireless division (Spring stores).
Dawn enjoys working with people. She says she always refers to her years as a 911 dispatcher as her favorite because she remembers “there was an adrenaline rush when dealing with emergencies; there is just no other way to explain it. That combined with being an EMT and volunteering for over 30 years has made me a calmer person when dealing with people. I tend to listen better now and always empathize with the customer, even if I have no control over their situation I can still be courteous and polite to them.”
Today, Dawn works out of our Woodstock office helping customers by answering the phones, greeting walk in customers, processing payments, proof reading loan documents and scanning those documents to electronic files.
Although Dawn comes from a farm family, she has not lived on a farm since she was nine years old. She was actually born in the hospital right down the street from our Woodstock office and has lived in Shenandoah County all her life. Dawn has been a member of the Strasburg Volunteer Rescue Squad for 33+ years, and although she no longer runs calls, she still remains active with events and fundraising.
It’s evident in talking with Dawn that she loves working here and she enjoys helping others out. So, when our customers are looking for help with their “emergencies” Dawn’s the one to call.
Tess Weigand
by Donna Dawson (Quarryville)
Tess Weigand joined MAFC as a loan officer trainee in April and works from the Penn Region’s Lancaster office. Tess has an agriculture background and with her positive attitude will do a great job as she works with MAFC customers and calls on potential customers.
“I feel incredibly fortunate to have been given the opportunity to work for Farm Credit right out of college,” says Tess. “I love being able to expand on my educational experiences by working directly with farmers, that’s my favorite part so far,” she adds.
Tess graduated from Pennsylvania State University in State College in 2012 with a bachelor’s degree in agricultural sciences. She is a volunteer firefighter Rawlinsville Volunteer Fire Department and in her spare time enjoys horses, three-day eventing, farming, sailing, PSU football and fly fishing! At this time, Tess resides in Quarryville.
Dean Loux: A Birthday to Remember
by Yatta Yates (Dover)
Most people get cakes and cards on their birthdays - Dean (Shoemakersville) got a new job! You should ask Dean Loux how he felt starting a new job on his birthday, which was March 25. I am pretty sure he was as happy as can be.
Dean is a Mortgage Loan Originator covering the Penn region. Originally from Sheboygan, Wisconsin, Dean is a graduate of Wichita State University where he received his degree in Entrepreneurship. His past work experiences include working for M & T Mortgage, American Log Mortgage, Wells Fargo Home Mortgage, and Reliance First Mortgage as in house lender for Kingsway Realty. Guess you could say he likes being in the Mortgage Industry!
Dean has a pretty cool family: his wife Paula works as an office manager for a chiropractor, and his daughter Sarah, works as an RN for Reading Hospital. In his spare time, he loves going to baseball games, he is a big time Brewer’s fan, and he also enjoys going to concerts with his family. He is a fan of the blues and great guitar players.
When I asked Dean how he likes working for MidAtlantic, he said "My co-workers are excellent, and I love the team-oriented environment. I really have zero dislikes!"
Welcome to MidAtlantic Dean; we hope you'll spend a lot more birthdays with us!
Palesa Motshidi: My Journey
My story begins in Botswana which is in the southern part of Africa where I was born. I was brought up in the Washington DC / Prince Georges County, MD area most of my life. I am a 20 year old senior at Delaware State University where I am studying Finance and Banking. Playing tennis is what brought me to Delaware and I obtained a full-scholarship. Unfortunately because of an injury that occured, my sophomore year of high school, I was released from the team and lost my scholarship. It was a tragic experience and I had no idea what my next move was. With consistent praying and hard work I was able to gain an academic scholarship. For the past three years, I learned a lot about myself while attending school. One vital thing was despite the circumstances, don’t ever let anything or anyone bring you down.
With that being said, I took a chance in applying for MAFC. Being rejected by a company that I had been working for, for the past two years, I saw that my advisor posted up an opportunity with Farm Credit. I quickly filled out their application and waited for a call. Fortunately, I received a called in for an interview, but after the interview, I anxiously waited for a call to work for the company. A woman by the name Lynn called me and asked “Palesa are you still interested in the position?” I replied by saying “Of course!” and that’s how my journey began.
Doing this internship, I hope to leave with a better understanding of agriculture and farm life. Also I would like to gain as much experience as possible with finance and tie it in with my education. I feel lucky to have found MidAtlantic to help me do that!
Yatta Yates: Keeping up with the Intern
It's summer time and most young college students spend their summers sleeping in and searching for summer jobs, but not me. I come in at 8 a.m. sharp ready for the work day. I am the new marketing intern reporting to Angel Adams. I am a junior at Delaware State University majoring in business with a concentration in marketing.
Open to new experiences and always ready to learn, I quickly picked up the work routine. I love not being the typical intern who has a corner desk, picks up coffee and makes copies; instead I get to help Amber the marketing specialist with events, blogs and other various tasks. I even wrote my first blog as an intern, which is posted on the MAFC blog. I love traveling, visiting new places, and learning new things. There is so much out there to learn! In fact, I went on my first mission trip at 15 years old to Chiapas, Mexico with my church youth group.
In a month’s time, I have done some research, visited other Farm Credit offices, and attended my first Orioles game with other employees. Speaking of other employees, everyone is really nice. From the first day I started working, I have felt welcomed. I enjoy working here and I am happy to be a part of this team!
Strategic Action Council Corner
Are you interested in working with other employees across the association? What about working on a project that contributes to the overall growth and success of the association? If you are, complete this form to send your name in.
Regardless, if you are interested in serving on the council or not, council members want to know your project ideas. If you have a suggestion for the next group's project, email Gary Stepanchick (Lancaster) or Garcia Tate by August 20.
Human Resources Corner
Don't forget that we have a new EAP vendor - Mazzitti & Sullivan. Feel free to visit their website, where you'll find a variety of helpful articles and links available to MidAtlantic employees. To enter the Work/Life section, you will need the following unique login and password:
Login: MAFC
Password: EAP
Marketing Corner
The marketing department has been busy developing lots of materials to help promote our new Farm Fresh Financing program. At your disposal you have: FFF market bags (giveaways), a single-panel flyer (in every office), a LEADER focused on that market, resources on our website, and an electronic flyer for you to share around. We're also working on a powerpoint, as well as compiling target marketing lists to help you with your sales efforts. What else do you need? Let us know!
For Sale: Graco Quattro Tour Travel System - $125
One-hand , gravity fold stroller, “SnugRide” infant car seat and 2 stay-in-car adjustable seat bases. Stroller holds a child up to 50 lbs. Very lightly used. Retail value $290. Selling for $125. Contact Alison Gordon (Lancaster) for more info.
