Association News

Email Us

FCS of Illinois Announces Board Election Results, Honors Retiring Director

Champaign, Illinois, January 28, 2004 – Farm Credit Services of Illinois announced the retirement of one director and the re-election of five of its board members.

Ed Vonder Haar of St. Rose retired from the Farm Credit Services of Illinois board of directors after nine years of service.

J. Dale Edwards of Buffalo; Mark Miller of Chestnut; John Schable of Tuscola; Jack Hastings of Louisville; and Don Sievers of Staunton, were re-elected to the Farm Credit Services Board of Directors. The election was held in December and certified this month. They will each serve a three-year term.

Ed Vonder Haar operates a grain and livestock farm in Clinton County, which includes row crops, a dairy operation and confinement hogs. He was elected to the board in 1994.

J. Dale Edwards operates a diversified grain and livestock farm in Sangamon County. He is an agricultural education graduate of Southern Illinois University and is also a substitute teacher. He is a director on the Sangamon County Fair Board, is a Sangamon County 4-H leader, serves as the Lanesville Township Clerk, and is secretary/treasurer of the Illinois Berkshire Association. He is a member of the Sangamon County Farm Bureau, the Illinois Pork Producers, the Buffalo/Tri-City FFA Alumni Association, and the Methodist Church.

Mark Miller raises corn and soybeans in Logan County. He received his degree in agricultural economics and agronomy from Western Illinois University. He is President of the Chestnut-Beason Park District and is a member of the Macon County Farm Bureau, the Sons of the American Legion Post 447, and serves as a Volunteer Team Worker at the Illinois State Fair for the Mt. Pulaski Trooper Boosters. He is a past board member of the Farmer’s Grain Company, Latham; former member of the Macon County Ag Council, and past president of the Macon County Extension Council.

John Schable raises corn and soybeans in Douglas County. He received his accounting degree from Eastern Illinois University. He is chairman of the Moultrie-Douglas Extension Foundation and president of the East Central Farm Business Farm Management Board. He is treasurer of the Atwood Masonic Lodge, of which he is Past Master, and is a 12-year veteran of the Atwood-Hammond School Board. He is a member of the United Church of Atwood, where he serves on the stewardship and finance committee.

Jack Hastings operates a grain and livestock farm in Clay County raising corn, soybeans, wheat, and hay, along with beef cattle and hogs. He also is a seed dealer. Hastings is a graduate of Southern Illinois University with a degree in agricultural economics and farm management. He has served on the board of the Effingham-Clay (FS) Service Company, the Clay City Unit 10 School Board, Lincoln Farm Business Farm Management, Clay County Farm Bureau Young Farmers Committee and Section 23 FFA Foundation. He is a member of St. John’s Lutheran Church, where he currently serves as Secretary of the Voters Assembly and Church Council.

Donald Sievers grows corn, soybeans and wheat in Macoupin County. He owns and operates Countryside Gardens, a retail garden center. He serves as an elder of the Zion Lutheran Church, Staunton.

The Farm Credit Services of Illinois Board of Directors consists of 15 elected Directors, five from each of the Association’s three regions, and two appointed Directors.

Farm Credit Services of Illinois is a farmer-owned cooperative providing financial products and services to the farmers and rural residents of the southern 60 counties in Illinois.