2026 AgSouth Board of Director Election Results
STATESVILLE, NC (October 20, 2026) – AgSouth Farm Credit CEO Chad Puryear announced the winners of the 2026 Board of Directors and Nominating Committee Election.
As a member-owned cooperative, AgSouth Farm Credit relies on its stockholders to elect the leadership that represents them. Members of the Board of Directors and Nominating Committee are AgSouth customers elected by eligible voting stockholders. Following the Association's Annual Meeting, held September 2, 2026, in Concord, North Carolina, eligible stockholders submitted their ballots by mail or electronically.
The 2026 Director Election Results
Mark Bray - Lawsonville, NC
(Region 2) - Mark Bray is a 39-year AgSouth customer and owner and operator of Ridgecrest Farms and co-owner of Bray Family Farms. His diversified agricultural operation includes poultry, dairy, beef cattle, stocker/feeder cattle and livestock marketing. Bray brings decades of agricultural leadership experience, including serving as president of the North Carolina Cattlemen’s Association and on the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association Board of Directors. He has also held several leadership positions on AgSouth's Board of Directors.
“AgSouth Farm Credit says, ‘We are here in the good times and the bad times’. And they proved that to me by helping me restructure my farm when I was younger. It’s an honor to serve on the Board of Directors.”
Andrew Burleson - New London, NC
(Region 2) - Andrew Burleson is a third-generation farmer and 27-year AgSouth customer who is a partner in Thurman Burleson & Sons Farm. His agricultural operations include cotton, corn, soybeans, hay, beef cattle and timber, along with ownership interests in Rolling Hills Gin and General Fertilizer Equipment. Burleson has held leadership positions with several agricultural organizations, including the North Carolina Cotton Producers Association and Southern Cotton Growers. He has served on AgSouth's Board of Directors for five years.
“Agriculture is the backbone of rural communities across our region, supporting families, creating jobs, and preserving a way of life that matters deeply to all of us. I believe in protecting and strengthening that foundation for future generations.”
Jennifer Hemric - Hamptonville, NC
(Region 3) - Jennifer Hemric is a 30-year AgSouth customer and co-owner of Van Hemric Farms and Alpha and Omega Corn Maze. Her family's agricultural operation includes poultry, cattle, soybeans, corn, wheat, triticale and agritourism. In addition to more than three decades of farming experience, Hemric has served as executive director of Compassion Care Center for 18 years. She also brings extensive leadership and governance experience from 12 years on the Yadkin County Board of Education, including serving as board chair.
“Running an agritourism venue has given me a unique perspective on how disconnected many people are from agriculture and how powerful simple, educational experiences can be in showing the role farming plays in everyday life.”
Pete Wall - Sylvania, GA
(Region 7) - Pete Wall is a 30-year AgSouth customer and owner and operator of Wall Family Farms and Fast Track Club Lambs. With decades of agricultural experience, his operation has evolved from hog production to beef cattle, sheep and hay, with additional diversification into direct-to-consumer meat production. Wall has held leadership positions with several agricultural organizations, including Southeast Georgia Cattle Marketing and the Ogeechee Cattlemen's Association. He currently serves as vice chairman of AgSouth's Board of Directors and chairman of its Executive Committee.
“Like our farm, I think AgSouth, especially in these challenging times, has to be open and responsive to the ever-changing needs and goals of the customer.”
Tara Green - Griffin, GA
(Region 8) - Tara Green is a 10-year AgSouth customer and co-owner and operator of S&T Green Gate Farm and The Flower Shack. Her diversified agricultural operation includes poultry, beef cattle, hay, flowers, specialty crops and agritourism. With a background in veterinary technology, Green is actively involved in agricultural education and industry organizations, including the Mid-Georgia Cattlemen's Association, Perdue Farm Council and Spalding County Farm Bureau. She currently serves on AgSouth's Board of Directors and its Audit Committee.
“I wholeheartedly believe in [AgSouth’s] mission of helping farmers financially and in any other ways possible. The future and sustainability of agriculture is especially crucial to me, and I believe AgSouth plays a fundamental role.”
The Nominating Committee was elected as slated. The terms are effective October 28, 2026. For more information on AgSouth’s election process please click here.
About AgSouth:
AgSouth Farm Credit provides loans for land, equipment, and production agriculture; crop insurance; leasing; and home mortgages. The Association serves counties in North Carolina, South Carolina, and Georgia and is headquartered in Statesville, North Carolina. AgSouth is an equal housing lender and an equal opportunity provider.