Ohio Farmer

Ohio Bits: Ohio State names ACEL outstanding seniors.

Jennifer Kiel, Editor, Michigan Farmer

May 25, 2022

2 Min Read
Tara Durbin of Ohio has been named Farm Credit Mid-America’s chief lending officer in agriculture
PROMOTED: Tara Durbin of Ohio has been named Farm Credit Mid-America’s chief lending officer in agriculture.Courtesy of FCMA

Farm Credit Mid-America has a new chief lending officer in agriculture. Tara Durbin will lead retail and commercial agriculture lending sales and support teams across Indiana, Ohio, Kentucky and Tennessee.

“I am most excited to be a strong voice for our retail and commercial agriculture teams, and the customers we serve across our four-state footprint,” Durbin says. “As part of the nationwide Farm Credit System, Farm Credit Mid-America secures the future of rural communities and agriculture by being a reliable, consistent source of credit. I look forward to using my experience to represent these voices at the highest level of our organization.”

Her roots are in her family’s small grain farm in Highland County in southern Ohio. After graduating from Wilmington College with a bachelor’s degree in agriculture and business marketing, she began at Farm Credit Mid-America as a financial services officer in 2001.

During her 21-year tenure, Durbin has held the roles of assistant regional vice president and regional vice president. Most recently, she was senior vice president of agricultural lending, where she led the agriculture lending sales and support teams in Ohio.

Durbin has a master’s degree in business administration from Mount Vernon Nazarene University and graduated from the Stonier Graduate School of Banking with a leadership certificate from The Wharton School. She also graduated from Farm Credit Mid-America’s Leadership College.

Durbin lives with her husband, Dusty, and son, Daxton, on their farm near Mount Vernon, Ohio, where they also run a cash grain operation.

ACEL names 2022 outstanding seniors

The Ohio State University Department of Agricultural Communication, Education, and Leadership named 13 students to the 2022 class of ACEL outstanding seniors. These students were selected by the faculty and staff of the department for their excellence both in and out of the classroom.

2022 ACEL distinguished seniors include:

  • Maddie Allman, a community leadership major from Chillicothe

  • Maryellen Bliss, an agriscience education major from Ashland

  • Stacey Butler, an agricultural communication major from Alexandria

  • Mallary Caudill, an agricultural communication major from DeGraff

  • Abby David, a community leadership major from Oak Harbor

  • Joanna Frankenberg, an agricultural communication major from New Bremen

  • Ashley Garlick, an agriscience education major from Swanton

  • Jasmin Mabry, an agricultural communication major from Camden

  • Nicole McMullen, an agriscience education major from Holland

  • Alexa Rednour, an agriscience education major from Middletown

  • Maddy Schupp, an agricultural communication major from New Philadelphia

  • Madilyn Youngpeter, an agricultural communication major from Findlay

  • Hannah Ziegler, an agricultural communication major from Sycamore

Those selected for the outstanding senior award will graduate in 2022. They were recently recognized at the department’s annual banquet April 19 at the Ohio 4-H Center on Ohio State’s Columbus campus.

ACEL prepares communicators, educators and leaders in the food, agricultural and environmental sciences to integrate research-based learning, practice and engagement in ways that will advance positive changes that strengthen individuals, families and communities.

For more information on the academic programs and research available in ACEL, or to donate to student scholarships, visit acel.osu.edu.

About the Author(s)

Jennifer Kiel

Editor, Michigan Farmer

While Jennifer is not a farmer and did not grow up on a farm, "I think you'd be hard pressed to find someone with more appreciation for the people who grow our food and fiber, live the lifestyles and practice the morals that bind many farm families," she says.

Before taking over as editor of Michigan Farmer in 2003, she served three years as the manager of communications and development for the American Farmland Trust Central Great Lakes Regional Office in Michigan and as director of communications with Michigan Agri-Business Association. Previously, she was the communications manager at Michigan Farm Bureau's state headquarters. She also lists 10 years of experience at six different daily and weekly Michigan newspapers on her impressive resume.

Jennifer lives in St. Johns with her two daughters, Elizabeth, 19, and Emily 16.

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