SANTA ROSA -- American AgCredit's board of directors has named Byron Enix as its incoming president and CEO, a position he will assume after retirement of current president and CEO Ron Carli on Jan. 31, 2014.
Mr. Enix assumes that role after more than 29 years in the farm credit system. He has served as executive vice president and chief operating officer for American AgCredit since Feburary 2012, and is the vice chairman of the farm lender's management executive committee and a member of two other committees related to fiscal practices at the $6-billion asset farm lender.
"I'm grateful to have the vote of confidence of the board of directors to take on this role and plan to do my very best to take this association into the future for the benefit of our customers," said Mr. Enix, in a statement.
Mr. Carli, a Petaluma native with family roots in the region's dairy industry, will retire after 35 years in the farm credit system. He was president of the Santa Rosa Federal Land Bank in 1982, the predecessor to today's American AgCredit that has grown to the largest financial institution in the North Bay through a number of acquisitions.
"I have thoroughly enjoyed leading the organization and in particular, working with staff and customers," said Mr. Carli, in the announcement. "The transition process the board and management have accomplished over recent months has been well planned. Byron Enix is a tremendous choice by the board. He is unique equipped to lead an exceptional management team into the future."
Mr. Enix will assume the role at a time of evolution for the nation's sixth-largest farm credit cooperative, which is planning to construct a new headquarters in Santa Rosa.
He is a native of Wichita, Kan., and graduated from Oklahoma State University with a degree in agricultural economics. He was chief financial officer of Farm Credit Services of Mountain Plains in Greeley, Colo., which merged with American AgCredit in 2012.
