The focus: Ensuring alignment with GreenStone’s mission, vision, values, and people focused culture as the foundation of leading the cooperative to strong results through visionary leadership and strategic business development.
The solution: An incoming CEO who exemplifies our brand and embraces our culture through firsthand experience, a broad perspective, and a focus on engagement and partnership with customers and staff.
After a nationwide search, GreenStone’s Board of Directors has named Travis Jones as our next President and Chief Executive Officer. Travis, who has served as the cooperative’s Executive Vice President & Chief Financial Officer for the last 15 years, will assume the chief leadership role on August 1, 2022 following Dave Armstrong’s retirement.
In connection with our mission, GreenStone understands agricultural finance in ways unmatched by any other financial entities. During Travis’ nearly 15-year history with GreenStone, he’s consistently supported the rural and agricultural communities in Michigan and northeast Wisconsin – regardless of market or industry fluctuations – with a primary goal to help them grow, thrive and succeed.
“We unanimously believe Travis Jones is the right person to drive GreenStone’s mission and values forward to best serve our members,” said Board Chairman Ed Reed. “His deep understanding of our Core Four Values is shown through his dedication to always put the customer first, deliver quality over quantity, roll up his sleeves to get the work done, and most importantly, always doing the right thing.”
Travis has been chosen to succeed Dave Armstrong who, with a 41-year dedicated career serving the Farm Credit System, has led as President and CEO of GreenStone for the last 14 of those years. Armstrong will retire July 31, 2022. His inspiring leadership leaves the cooperative in strong, stable hands.
With a managed, steady approach Travis’ experience will help ensure an ongoing strong financial foundation for GreenStone customers to build and grow upon. Travis joined the GreenStone cooperative in September 2007 as CFO. Since that time, he has demonstrated his progressive strategic and operational leadership impacting long range organizational and capital planning.
Like many GreenStone team members, Travis grew up on a small farm in Chapin, Michigan and now lives in Owosso with his wife Sue, where they together raised three children, Tyler, Mackenzie and Katelyn. Travis believes it is important to make a difference in the communities where we live and serve. He leads by example, leveraging his financial expertise on the board of the Michigan Finance Authority to help provide impactful, affordable loans for cities, colleges, and public schools, plus serves on the Michigan FFA Association board providing support to the year-round agriscience curriculum and youth development activities.
In this new role, Travis will build upon the strong foundation Dave established in his 14 years as CEO of the association.
“Every day is an honor to work alongside our 600+ talented and committed teammates to serve our members. We’ve built an inclusive, customer first culture under Dave’s leadership and I’m truly humbled with the opportunity to continue that focus as the next CEO of GreenStone and build upon the successes Dave established,” said Travis Jones. “With our shared strategic vision for the cooperative, I look forward to paving the path forward to continued success and prosperity for our team and customers.”
Travis will assume the role of President and CEO on August 1, 2022. For more information, visit www.greenstonefcs.com.
To view the article in the online 2022 Summer Partners Magazine, click here.
