Farm Credit Welcomes Lester as Director of Branch Operations
Farm Credit of the Virginias (FCV), a lending cooperative that serves Virginia, West Virginia and western Maryland, announced that Willy Lester has joined the Association as director of branch operations, based in the Bedford branch office.
Originally from Hinton, W. Va., Lester now resides in Bedford, Va. He grew up helping his grandfather and father on their family farm, which raised cattle and horses. Lester graduated with a bachelor’s degree from West Virginia University.
Lester brings a strong background in managing logistics to FCV. He has served in a number of leadership roles for several large retailers and previously managed distribution at Southern States Cooperative.
Regarding his new role, Lester shared, “I am excited to offer a unique perspective to the branch operations role by leveraging my logistics background and leadership experience.” He continued, “I look forward to getting to know all of our team members in branch operations, and working to optimize the team’s core duties and remove any hurdles they may face, while maintaining excellent member experience.”
“Willy brings a strong leadership background along with a deep appreciation for the values that shape our organization, having grown up in a small rural community in West Virginia where relationships and service are foundational. He demonstrates a clear commitment to supporting our front-line team members and delivering high levels of customer service,” shared Melanie Craig, chief administrative officer. She continued, “Willy’s passion for empowering employees and driving performance aligns well with our mission, and I am confident his leadership will contribute to the continued growth and success of our Association. I am excited to have him on our team and look forward to the contributions he will make.”
Outside of work, Lester enjoys hunting, fishing and cheering on his beloved WVU Mountaineers.
About Farm Credit of the Virginias
Farm Credit of the Virginias provides over $2.5 billion dollars in financing to more than 12,500 farmers, agribusinesses and rural homeowners throughout Virginia, West Virginia and western Maryland. Farm Credit is a cooperative capitalized largely through investments made by farmers, ranchers and the rural homeowners and businesses that borrow from them. In fact, as part of a nationwide network they are the largest single provider of agricultural credit in the United States and have been for over 100 years. Farm Credit helps maintain and improve the quality of life in rural America and on the farm through its constant commitment to competitive lending, expert financial services and for facilitating and sharing knowledge and resources through the Farm Credit Knowledge Center.