Farm Credit Underwriter David Walker Retires After 34-Year Tenure
Farm Credit of the Virginias has recently announced that long-time employee, David Walker, will be retiring today after more than 34 years with the organization.
Walker grew up spending much of his time on Lynnwood Farm, Inc., a beef and crop farm in Rockingham County, VA. In high school, he worked on the farm part-time and proceeded to came home and work the farm during his summer breaks in college. About a week after graduating from Virginia Tech in 1985, Walker came to work for Farm Credit. Farm Credit was his first, and has been his only full-time job.
Walker accepted his initial position of field representative with intentions of moving into the role of loan officer with some additional training. Initially brought on board as a replacement for a loan officer who relocated, he worked diligently to become knowledgeable in his new role.
Having the least amount of seniority on his team, Walker dove into his work, researching real estate sales and updating the list of comparable properties to be used in appraisals in Augusta, Bath and Highland Counties. At that time, loan officers marketed for new loans, took applications, ran the credit process, did any appraisals required, went to closings and when necessary, even collected delinquencies. All of these tasks helped to prepare and guide him where his career would lead.
Walker has seen his fair share of change and evolution, but never wavered in his dedication. In the 1990’s, he began his transition into more credit-focused roles. As the organization went through a series of changes and mergers, Walker has also moved through a set of roles, mostly involving internal credit review. Once Farm Credit of the Virginias formed in 2000, the association was now large enough to have an entire underwriting unit, where Walker has been a valuable member since.
Walker has expressed that the aspect he enjoyed most about Farm Credit was getting out to farms, and helping farmers to achieve their goals. Whether that was to buy a farm or specific piece of property, or expand and grow their farm, Walker found sincere gratification in working with our customer-owners.
Cole Heizer, Credit Manager, has worked with Walker for over 13 years in the Credit Department. He shared, “Through that time Dave has been a valued mentor and role model for myself and others, and provided a wealth of knowledge which was built through his many years of service to Farm Credit. His expertise will be greatly missed, but I am excited to see him enter this next phase and wish him all the best in retirement.”
In his newly found spare time, Walker is hoping to stay active with his volunteer roles in 4-H and FFA, his church, Vocational Young Farmers, Farm Bureau, and others. He also aspires to travel all over the US, and eventually visit all 50 states.
ABOUT FARM CREDIT OF THE VIRGINIAS
Farm Credit of the Virginias provides over $1.8 billion dollars in financing to more than 11,000 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. For more information, visit www.FarmCreditKnowledgeCenter.com or www.FarmCreditofVirginias.com.