Board of Directors
- Regional Office Team
- Senior Management
- Regional Vice Presidents
- Board of Directors
- Commercial Lending
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Scott Bidner
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Kent Brinkmann
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Michael Donohoe
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David Haase
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Joe Pickrell
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Evan Schuette
Steve Hettinger
Board Chair
Steve is a fourth generation farmer and has been farming for 35 years in Champaign County. Steve currently farms 2,700 acres of corn, soybeans, and seed production with his brother, son, and daughter. He is a graduate of Parkland College with a degree in Agriculture. Steve is a Certified Crop Advisor, CCA. Steve is also the owner of Hettinger Precision LLC.
Steve has served on the Premier Cooperative Elevator Board for the past 30 years and has also served as Township Supervisor for 24 years. Steve and his wife Robin have four grown children and five grandchildren. Steve and Robin attend St. Mary’s Catholic Church in Pesotum, Illinois.
Adam Brown
Board Vice Chair & Compensation Committee Chair
Adam is a sixth-generation corn and soybean farmer from rural Decatur. He is a graduate of the University of Illinois at Springfield with a Master’s of Public Administration, U of I Urbana-Champaign with a Bachelor’s in Farm/Financial Management, and spent a term at Wageningen University, the Netherlands. Adam has served on the Farm Credit Illinois Board for the past five years and is in his second year as Vice Chair of the Board. He also sits on the American Farm Bureau Federation’s Energy Advisory Committee, and on Macon County’s Zoning and Farmland Assessment committees. He previously served in the Illinois House of Representatives and as a Decatur City Councilman. Adam has prior work experience in the USDA’s Foreign Agricultural Service in Washington D.C. and the USDA’s APHIS division in Champaign. Adam is married (wife, Stephanie) with three energetic children.
David Allspach
Audit Committee Vice Chair
David is an eighth-generation grain and livestock farmer from Mt. Pulaski, IL. He received his bachelor's degree in Agribusiness, Farm, and Financial Management from the University of Illinois in 2008. Upon graduating, David started his career with Monsanto Company as an Account Manager for their National Seed Brands in South Central Wisconsin, then made the decision to return to his family farm in late 2010 to begin his farming career full-time. Aside from serving on Farm Credit Illinois’ board of directors, David also serves as a board member for the Logan County Soil and Water Conservation District, and the Lake Fork Special Drainage District. He and his wife, Kaitlin, reside near their family farm in Mt. Pulaski.
Scott Bidner
Scott and his family farm 1600 acres of corn and soybean in Champaign County. Scott graduated from University of Illinois in 1985. He joined the staff of the Illinois Corn Marketing Board and Illinois Corn Growers Association as the first Director of Market Development in 1985. He was named Executive Director in 1987. Scott moved to Washington, DC in 1990 to work in the Office of International Activities, U.S. EPA. In that position he traveled and worked as a liaison with a number of federal agencies. In 1995 he returned home to the family farm. Scott served as President of the Champaign County Farm Bureau, Legislative Chair, ILFB State and Local Government Resolutions Chair. He has been active in his church, township, local boards and committees, and facilitated a UI Political Dialogue class for 11 years. He has three children, Alexandra works with the University of Texas Football team academics, Natalie is a Program Manager with the World Food Prize, Son Nate works in robotics for the Army Corp of Engineers, and farms with Scott.
Marc Bremer
Risk Committee Chair
Marc farms 1,500 acres of corn and soybeans and raises Angus Seed stock and back grounds calves. He graduated from WyoTech with a degree in Diesel Technology, Refrigeration, Hydraulics, Transmission, Air Conditioning and Electronic Engine Management. Marc currently serves on Massac County Farm Bureau Board of Directors, Massac County Soil and Water Board of Directors. He is a 2019 member of the German American Transatlantic Direct Marketing Round Table and member of the Illinois Farm Bureau Conservation and Natural Resource Strength Advisory Team. Marc is a 2016 Graduate of the Illinois Agriculture Leadership Program, served as Illinois Farm Bureau District 18 Young Leader Representative for four years and Illinois Farm Bureau Young Leader State Chairman in 2017. He is also a member of Fellowship Baptist Church.
Michael Donohoe
Michael is a Professor and Head of the Department of Accountancy at the Gies College of Business, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. His research explores the effects of complex financial arrangements on corporate tax compliance and risk management. His in-residence and online instruction on business entity taxation has been recognized with several prominent awards, including Top 50 Undergraduate Business Professor by Poets&Quants, Outstanding Educator by the Illinois CPA Society, and Excellence in Undergraduate Teaching by the University of Illinois. Michael is a Certified Public Accountant and Certified in Financial Forensics. He earned his bachelor’s degree and PhD in accounting from the University of Florida, and a master’s degree in taxation from the University of North Florida. Michael resides in Mahomet with his wife, Emily, and son, Nicholas.
Wes Durbin
Governance Committee Vice Chair
Wes and his wife, Sara, have a fifth generation livestock and grain farm in rural Shelbyville. They have two daughters, Audrey and Arianna, and a son, Liam. Wes is a graduate of Southern Illinois University, and is involved in the Shelby County Farm Bureau Young Leaders and Shelby County Pork Producers. He and Sara are members of the Class of 2011 - Cultivating Master Farmers Program. He is also an active member of the Immaculate Conception Catholic Church and the Shelbyville Lions Club.
David Haase
David farms corn and soybeans in Iroquois County through an informal partnership with his brother. He is a 2007 graduate of the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign with a degree in agricultural engineering. In addition to farming, David carries out his duties as an elected official for two local taxing bodies—the Iroquois West School Board and the LaHogue Drainage District #1. Furthermore, David serves as a director for several trade organizations including the Illinois Association of Drainage Districts, the Ford-Iroquois Farm Bureau, the AgriBank District Farm Credit Council and the national Farm Credit Council. David and his wife Alissa reside in Gilman with their three children – Sydney, Oliver and Josephine.
Lisa Helmink
Governance Committee Chair & Compensation Committee Vice Chair
Lisa and her three children- Katie, Sam and Nick raise corn, wheat, soybeans and livestock in Clinton and Marion counties. Our farm also practices no-till farming and plants cover crop. Lisa is a graduate of Southern Illinois University of Edwardsville with a degree in accounting. Lisa works as a Certified Public Accountant for Goeckner Accounting in Effingham. She is a member of St. Dominic Catholic Church, Clinton County Farm Bureau and Kaskaskia Beekeeper Club.
Anne Larocca
Audit Committee Chair
Anne is a Senior Account Manager at bswift LLC, in Chicago, Illinois. She is a 2005 graduate of Augustana College with a degree in International Business and Finance along with a 2010 graduate of Roosevelt University with a master’s degree in Accounting. She was appointed to the Board as an outside director in 2021. She currently lives in Lake Zurich, a suburb of Chicago Illinois located in Lake County.
Eric Mosbey
Risk Committee Vice Chair
Eric and his wife Kara live near Robinson, IL with their three daughters, Mallory, Ella, and Lucille. He is a graduate of the University of Illinois with a degree in mechanical engineering and is the general manager of Linconland Agri-Energy, LLC, a corn ethanol facility in Palestine, IL. Eric farms with his family in Lawrence and Crawford counties. He serves on the Crawford County Development Association and Illinois Renewable Fuels Association boards and is a member of St. Elizabeth Catholic Church in Robinson, IL.
Joe Pickrell
Joe resides in Buffalo, Illinois with his wife Laura and their two children, Lauren and Ben. He farms with his father and brother in Sangamon, Logan, and Christian Counties. Joe graduated from Illinois State University in 1992 with a Bachelor of Science Degree in Agribusiness. He has served as a leader on many Boards and Committees including, Sangamon County Farm Bureau Director, Illinois Farm Bureau State Young Leader Committee Chair, Sangamon FSA County Commitee, and Tri-City Schools Board of Education. He is a member of Sugar Creek United Methodist Church.
Evan Schuette
Evan Schuette graduated from Murray State University with a bachelors in Agribusiness and Kaskaskia College with an associates in Agribusiness, Plant & Soil Science and Animal Science. He is a seed salesman for Schuette Seeds with his dad and brother as well as a herd manager for his and his father's cow-calf operation. He recently started Schuette Signature Beef LLC selling locker beef and labeled beef products. He also has a diversified farm with corn, soybeans and pasture for his beef cows. Evan lives in Breese with his wife, Natalie.
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What is the makeup of the Board?
Member-owners elect 12 peers from the cooperative’s three regions to the Board. Additionally, two non-stockholder outside directors are appointed by the 12 elected directors.
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What are the primary responsibilities of the Board?
- Provide strategic direction
- Set internal controls and oversee all major functions of the Association
- Oversee activities performed by management
- Establish policies, systems, and processes in support of safe and sound operations
- Hire the CEO and establish a succession plan
- Ensure information and disclosures to member-owners are accurate, understandable, and reliable
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What is the Board's committee structure?
The Board has five committees: executive, compensation, governance, audit, and risk. Each board member serves on one or more committees.
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How do Director elections work?
Elections are held annually to elect a director in each of the three regions, plus five members and three alternates for each region’s nominating committee. The nominating committee reviews candidate interest forms and possible candidates, interviews candidates, and submits a slate of candidates for the director elections starting in July. After the Association’s annual meeting, held in November, ballots are mailed to all voter-stockholders. In mid-December, a teller’s committee meets to tally ballot votes. The term for all newly elected directors begins in January.
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Does FCI's Board have age requirements or term limits?
- Each director serves a four-year term, with no limit on years of service. At the end of each term, Board members must be re-elected or re-appointed.
- There is no minimum age requirement, but once a candidate turns 65 years old (as of the date of that year’s teller’s committee meeting), they are no longer eligible to serve another term on the Board.
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What is the time commitment to be on the Board?
- There usually are seven Board meetings and 9-11 committee meetings per year. The committee and Board meetings are typically held on back-to-back days on the third or fourth Wednesday and Thursday of the month. Meetings are held at the cooperative’s central office in Mahomet. Directors also must prepare for each meeting by reviewing materials provided before the meeting.
- On average, a director attends three to six events outside of Board meetings and other Association meetings per year.
- A new director attends three to five Association-sponsored meetings per year on average, including a new director orientation.
- Board members may also attend optional AgriBank District meetings, national conferences, or director learning opportunities throughout the year.
- Registration fees and expenses are paid by Farm Credit Illinois. The majority of these are held out-of-state and scheduled over a two to three day timeframe.
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Are FCI directors compensated?
Directors receive quarterly retainers and meeting per diems for services related to Farm Credit Illinois Board duties.
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How can a member submit to be a candidate?
FCI member-owners can submit director or nominating committee member candidate interest forms HERE by July 1. Submissions are sent to the respective region’s nominating committee for review following the deadline.
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Want more information on director elections?
For additional information, contact your FCI loan officer, a current or past FCI director, or Darcy Allen at the cooperative’s central office (217-590-2158 or darcy.allen@farmcreditIL.com).
