Farm Credit Illinois recently hired seven employees throughout its 60-county territory: Adam Bane, of Lexington; Jie Cai, of Champaign; Heather McKinney, of Mahomet; Renea Morris, of Paris; Brandi Nugent, of Paris; Tammy Schroeder, of Mahomet; and Ryan Tallman, of Pocahontas.

Prior to joining the Farm Credit team, Bane worked for more than two years as a grain originator at Prairie Central Cooperative in Chenoa and as a sales professional for four years at Martin Sullivan in Lexington.

Prior to joining the Farm Credit team, Cai worked for one year as an analyst at Dagong Global Credit Rating Company in Beijing, China. Cai resides in Champaign with her husband Li Chen. Cai is the daughter of Zhengdong Tan and Xiuhua Cai of Shiyan, China.

McKinney was raised in Champaign County and graduated from Mahomet-Seymour High School before receiving her associate’s degree in applied science hospitality management from Parkland College. Prior to joining the Farm Credit team, McKinney worked for two years as a human resources payroll specialist at Express Employment in Champaign and as an assistant branch manager for more 15 years at Busey Bank in Mahomet. McKinney resides in Mahomet with her husband Joey with their two children – CJ (16) and Sydney (11).

Morris was raised in Edgar County and graduated from Chrisman High School. Prior to joining the Farm Credit team, Morris worked for more than 30 years in the banking industry, most recently as the president and manager at Paris Hi-Way Credit Union. Morris resides in Paris with her husband John and has two children – Mark and Sarah (Ben) Setzer.

Morris was raised in Edgar County and graduated from Paris High School before receiving her bachelor’s degree in business management from Indiana State University. Prior to joining the Farm Credit team, Nugent worked for more than 12 years in human resources, most recently as an employee benefits relationships manager at USI Insurance in Terre Haute, Ind. for three years. Nugent resides in Paris with her husband Shawn and their children – Braylon (13) and Landon (11).

Schroeder was hired on full-time as a crop insurance service administrator in the crop insurance service division based in the financial cooperative’s central office in Mahomet Nov. 1. She was raised in Champaign County and graduated from Champaign Central High School before receiving her associate’s degree in travel and tourism from Parkland College.

Prior to joining the Farm Credit team, Schroeder worked for six years at TSI Commercial Floor Covering & Advanced Commercial Roofing, two years at COUNTRY Financial, and 20 years at Patton Lumber Company. Schroeder resides in Mahomet with her husband Marty and has three daughters – Stephanie Hale, Jessica Schulze, and Jennifer Zimmerman.

Tallman was raised on his family’s Kankakee County grain farm and graduated from Normal Community West High School before receiving his bachelor’s degree in business administration from Southern Illinois University Edwardsville. Prior to joining the Farm Credit team, Tallman worked for more than 12 years as a credit underwriter and loan officer at The Bank of Edwardsville. Tallman resides in Pocahontas with his wife Amber with their two children – Amelia (6) and Molly (4).

Farm Credit Illinois is a farmer-owned and directed agricultural lending cooperative serving 11,000 farm families, agribusinesses, and rural landowners in the southern 60 counties of Illinois with competitive and flexible financing and crop insurance expertise. The Association manages a $4.2 billion loan portfolio, sells 1.4 million acres of crop insurance coverage, and employs 220 staff based in the Mahomet central office and 14 regional office locations. The U.S. Farm Credit System supports rural communities, farm families, and agriculture with reliable, consistent credit and financial services today and tomorrow.