As a member-owned cooperative, GreenStone is governed by members who have a vested interest in seeing GreenStone continue its successful mission of serving rural communities and agriculture. In that GreenStone is a member-owned cooperative, guided by a Board of Directors made up of individuals who are members and directly invested in our long-term success and our mission to support rural communities and agriculture. To strengthen oversight, the board includes six committees, each dedicated to key areas of the organization’s operations. In partnership with the GreenStone leadership team, these committees help maintain the cooperative’s financial stability, encourage responsiveness to industry changes and innovation, ensure regulatory compliance, and uphold accountability to both members and employees. 

In the winter issue of Partners, three of our committee chairs (Audit, Finance, Technology) highlighted their perspective on their respective committees. In this issue, we feature the final three committees: Executive, Legislative and Public Policy, and Compensation. Here you’ll hear from these committee chairs and learn more on your cooperative’s strategic structure, focus, and leadership.  

Executive Committee:

 

GreenStone’s committee structure allows the board to have efficient oversight and meetings. Generally speaking, we conduct Board meetings quarterly, with committee meetings occurring prior to the scheduled board meeting. The committee structure results in excellent utilization of the board’s skill set and time. It also requires a level of trust between board members knowing that others are “doing the work” on important facets within the organization. This efficiency is enhanced by allowing committee members to dig much deeper into critical topics for the association; then, each of the committees’ work is rolled up and reported to the rest of the Board during the full board meeting.   

As board chair, one of my responsibilities is to chair the Executive Committee that consists of four members, including the Vice-Chair of the Board of Directors and two other Board members. The Executive Committee’s purpose is to assist the Board of Directors in fulfilling our responsibilities for association oversight. We work with our CEO Travis Jones and his executive assistant, Cheryl Motz, to review and discuss GreenStone’s direction including vision, mission, and strategic objectives. We generally engage in discussions to surface ideas or programs to bring to the board for review and action, including evaluations and recommended bylaw changes. We also set the agenda and schedule for the meetings.  

Other responsibilities of the committee include reviewing and setting board policies, regulatory changes, and other governance-related activities; executing board and CEO evaluations; reviewing committee structures and assignments (we recently added a Technology Committee as highlighted in the Winter Partners issue); and overseeing the director election process including review of nominating regions … just to name a few!  

To summarize, the Executive Committee has been chosen by our fellow board members to help guide strategy and vision in a deeper dive with our CEO. Each and every committee provides critical insight and vision for our cooperative. I’m thankful for the great group of people that guide our association and hope you are proud to be a member of GreenStone! 

Compensation Committee:

 

Committees play in GreenStone’s success. Our committee focuses on ensuring fair and competitive compensation for leadership positions and staff, aligning pay structures with performance and member value. This work is critical because it helps attract and retain talented leaders who drive the cooperative forward. 

As Compensation Committee Chair, I lead discussions that balance financial responsibility with the need to reward excellence. We review market data, evaluate performance, and make recommendations that reflect both industry standards and GreenStone’s mission. It’s a thoughtful process that requires collaboration and transparency. 

Committees like ours allow the board to dive into specialized areas, providing informed guidance that strengthens overall governance. Members might be surprised by how much teamwork goes into these decisions—board members and staff work closely to ensure every recommendation is practical and fair. 

I’m proud to serve in this capacity because it supports GreenStone’s long-term stability and member trust. By focusing on fairness and accountability, we help create a structure that benefits everyone. Committees aren’t just about oversight—they’re about building a foundation for continued success. 

Legislative and Public Policy Committee:

 

The GreenStone Legislative and Public Policy Committee was formed to advocate for our Farm Credit members with governmental leaders. As farmers and rural consumers, all of our operations are different but we share a common goal of being profitable and sustainable for our families. This requires us to be active at the capitals in Lansing, Mich, Madison, Wis., and Washinton, D.C., as farm programs and legislation are brought forward that impact us.   

As the committee chair, I am blessed to have incredible GreenStone staff that do the hard work day-to-day monitoring what may impact our members. In addition, the other board members that serve on the Legislative Committee bring decades of experience that make it easy to share our story and our members’ focus when we visit with congressmen and senators.   

Having a committee solely focused on political actions like the Farm Bill in Washington, D.C., or CAFO legislation in Lansing allows us to report back to the entire board and our members before these matters impact our farms and rural communities. 

 

To view the article in the online 2026 Spring Partners Magazine, click here.