Experienced Leadership

Board of Directors

Our Directors represent all walks of agriculture, land ownership, and financial expertise.

Kim Rentz has farmed for 43 years. He joined the Board in 2013 and is presently serving a three-year term, which will expire in 2019. His farming operation includes approximately 3,000 acres, and he primarily produces cotton, peanuts, and sweet corn. ≫He also owns a small cattle operation. A native of Miller County who currently resides in Colquitt, Mr. Rentz attended The University of Georgia for three years, where he majored in accounting. He currently serves on the board of the Decatur County Farm Bureau, an insurance and farm-related services provider; Three Notch EMC, an electric cooperative; Sweet Corn Coop, a sweet corn cooler; Decatur Gin, a cotton gin. ≪ Hide

James H. Dixon, Jr. is a resident of Camilla in Mitchell County. He is a graduate of the University of Georgia with a bachelor’s degree in Agricultural Economics. Mr. Dixon, who joined the Board in 2011, is a poultry producer and is presently serving ≫ a three-year term, which will expire in 2020.≪ Hide

John M. Bridges, Jr. produces cotton, peanuts, green beans and other vegetables. Mr. Bridges is a graduate of The University of Georgia with a degree in Animal Science. He serves on the boards of the Decatur County Farm Bureau, Southwest Georgia Academy, ≫and AFG Feeds. Mr. Bridges resides in Brinson, Georgia. His term expires in 2021.≪ Hide

Jeffrey A. Clark, Ph.D. is a Professor of Finance at The Florida State University, Tallahassee, Florida, where he teaches Financial Institutions Management and Financial Risk Management. He was appointed as an Association Outside Director in 2005. ≫His term will expire in 2020. Mr. Clark serves as the Chairman of the Audit Committee, and Governance Committee and is a member of the Risk Management Committee (RIMCO). He resides in Tallahassee, Florida.≪ Hide

Mr. Durham lives in the Blakely area of Early County. He earned a BA degree in accounting from the Stetson School of Business and Economics at Mercer University. He is the owner and manager of Bluffton Peanut, LLC, and operates Bluffton Freight Company.≫He is a licensed grain/seed dealer, maintains a beef cattle herd and rents his row crop land. Mr. Durham serves on the board of the Early County Commission and is president of the Early County Farm Bureau (farm federation). Mr. Durham’s term expires in 2021. ≪ Hide

George Thomas Harrison, Jr. is a resident of Thomasville in Thomas County. He is a graduate of The Florida State University, Tallahassee, Florida with degrees in Accounting and Finance. Mr. Harrison joined the board in 2017. He is a Certified Public Accountant ≫ and Certified Financial Planner. Mr. Harrison, a partner in the CPA Firm, Lanigan & Associates P.C., were he practices as a tax partner specializing in taxation with special interest in Timber, real estate investment and development, and pass through entities. Mr. Harrison’s experience includes working with the accounting and agricultural sectors, specifically pertaining to forest products, farm machinery dealerships, financial planning, and accounting for timber, row crops, peanut and vegetable operations. His term will expire in 2020. ≪ Hide

Robert L. Holden, Sr. is a beef, poultry and row crop producer who lives near Whigham in Grady County and joined the board in 1987. His current term will expire in 2019. Mr. Holden previously served as Director and Chairman of the Board≫of AgFirst Farm Credit Bank, the funding bank and service provider for associations in 15 states and the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico; Georgia Milk Producers as Director and Chairman of the Board of this organization, tasked with awareness and education for the dairy industry; Director and Chairman of the Board of the American Dairy Association of Georgia, an organization which educates consumers on the importance of consumption, nutrition, and marketing of milk and milk products; the board of the Grady County Farm Bureau, an insurance and farm related services provider; and as Director for the Sunshine State’s Dairymen’s Cooperative, a cooperative that markets its members’ milk. ≪ Hide

Ted Milliron is a resident of Randolph County and fifth generation crop and pecan farmer. He graduated from The University of Georgia with a degree in Agricultural Economics. His farm operation includes cotton, peanuts, corn, soybeans, oats, wheat, and pecans. ≫Mr. Milliron currently serves on the boards of the Randolph County Farm Bureau, an insurance and farm related services provider, Randolph County Board of Assessors, and Milliron Farms. Mr. Milliron’s term expires in 2021.≪ Hide

Senior Management

Our management team works each day to ensure the Association meets its mission to serve farmers, farm businesses, land and home owners, and the unique needs of rural America.

Paxton Poitevint serves Southwest Georgia Farm Credit as President/Chief Executive Officer. During his tenure with Farm Credit, Mr. Poitevint has served in a variety of capacities, including Chief Operating Officer and Chief Relationship Manager, responsible for the Association’s business development efforts. ≫ Prior to joining Farm Credit, Mr. Poitevint worked as a financial analyst in the textile industry. Mr. Poitevint earned a Bachelor’s degree in finance from The University of Georgia, and a MBA from Georgia State University. He is also a graduate of the Graduate School of Banking at Louisiana State University. ≪ Hide

Ryan Burtt has served Southwest Georgia Farm Credit for 13 years. As CFO, he is responsible for financial accounting, reporting, technology infrastructures, internal controls, and operations for the organization. ≫He also serves as the Association’s Standards of Conduct Officer. Previously, he served as the Association’s Director of Credit Administration. Mr. Burtt received a Master’s of Business Administration from Troy University in 2008 and graduated from the ABA Stonier Graduate School of Banking in partnership with Wharton in 2015. ≪ Hide

Patrick Deen serves Southwest Georgia Farm Credit as Chief Credit Officer. A 14-year veteran of the Farm Credit System, Mr. Deen most recently served as Director of Credit Administration & Capital Markets and was responsible for the day to day management of the Association’s Capital markets portfolio, including both purchased and sold loan participations,≫ as well as overall leadership, vision, and direction for the Association’s enterprise-wide risk management framework. Mr. Deen began his career with Farm Credit in 2004 as a loan officer and has also served Southwest Georgia Farm Credit in various Analyst roles, including as Special Assets Senior Analyst. Mr. Deen holds a Bachelor’s degree with a major in accounting from Valdosta State University.≪ Hide

Tarrell Bennett has served Southwest Georgia Farm Credit for 45 years. During that time, he has served as the Association’s credit manager and worked in the Special Assets Management Department. ≫Mr. Bennett is a 1971 graduate of Valdosta State College with a double major in Business Management and Marketing.≪ Hide

Liz Nogowski joined the Association in 2007, and currently manages the Association’s Business Development and Marketing units. Ms. Nogowski earned a Bachelor’s degree in journalism, with a minor in political science, from Southern Connecticut State University, New Haven, CT.≫Prior to joining Southwest Georgia Farm Credit, Ms. Nogowski served as the Director of Marketing for the St. Joe Land Company, Florida’s largest private land owner at the time, and Director of Public Relations and hospital spokesperson for Tallahassee Memorial HealthCare. ≪ Hide

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