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FCA Officials
Kathleen V. Buffon is the Designated Agency Ethics Official. She was first appointed to the position in 1992 when she came to FCA as Associate General Counsel, a position she continues to hold. As Designated Agency Ethics Official, Ms. Buffon coordinates and manages the Agency’s ethics program. She maintains a liaison with the U.S. Office of Government Ethics, provides for the review of financial disclosure reports, and is responsible for initiating and maintaining ethics education and training programs. She also provides counseling to Agency staff on ethics issues and monitors compliance with the ethics rules. Before joining FCA’s Office of General Counsel, Ms. Buffon served as Assistant Director for Credit Practices at the Federal Trade Commission. Following her graduation from law school, she clerked for the Honorable Henry H. Kennedy Jr., an associate judge of the Superior Court of the District of Columbia.
Carl A. Clinefelter is the Inspector General. Before assuming this position in July 2005, he served as the Acting Director of the Office of Communications and Public Affairs and the Acting Director of the Office of Congressional and Legislative Affairs. Mr. Clinefelter also served as the Director of the Office of the Ombudsman at FCA and as Director of the Office of Secondary Market Oversight. Before assuming that position in December 1998, Mr. Clinefelter was an Assistant Director of the Office of Policy and Analysis, a regional supervisory officer in the Office of Supervision, and an Associate Regional Director in the Office of Examination and Supervision. Before joining FCA in 1980, he was employed by the Federal Intermediate Credit Bank of New Orleans as assistant vice president.
S. Robert Coleman is Director of the Office of Secondary Market Oversight. Before assuming this position in September 2005, Mr. Coleman served as the Director of the Agency’s Regulation and Policy Division. Mr. Coleman joined FCA in 1986 as an examiner in the Office of Examination. He held various positions in that office, providing technical and analytical support to the FCA field offices and in the Policy Development and Planning Division. During this period, Mr. Coleman completed the commissioning program and became a commissioned examiner in 1990. In 1994, Mr. Coleman transferred to the Office of Policy Analysis, where he served as a policy analyst specializing in regulation development, and then as a senior policy analyst. He was named Director of the Regulation and Policy Division in June 2003.
Keith H. Heffernan is Chief of Staff. Before joining FCA in July 2004, he served as Chief of Staff for the Under Secretary for Rural Development at USDA. His previous experience includes serving as assistant director of the Center for Agricultural and Rural Development at Iowa State University. From 1983 to 1989, he served the State of Iowa as deputy director of the Iowa Development Commission, as administrative assistant to Governor Terry Brandstad, and as director of the Department of Commerce. He also served as executive director of the Iowa Corn Growers Association from 1977 to 1983.
William J. Hoffman is the Executive Assistant to Nancy C. Pellett, Chairman and CEO of FCA. His duties include advising the Chairman on policy, administrative, and management issues affecting FCA, the Farm Credit System, and the Farm Credit System Insurance Corporation. Mr. Hoffman earlier served as Associate Director of the Office of Secondary Market Oversight. Mr. Hoffman began his career as a credit representative in the Louisville Farm Credit District. He first joined FCA in 1976 as a credit and operations officer and went on to serve in various management positions, including Associate Deputy Governor for the former Office of Examination and Supervision. In 1986 he joined the St. Louis Farm Credit Bank as vice president of risk assets. Mr. Hoffman later served as the CEO of PennWest Farm Credit, ACA. Before rejoining FCA in 2004, he was involved in agricultural finance in the private sector and in several international projects.
Andrew D. Jacob, CFA, is Director of the Office of Regulatory Policy. Before being named to this position in July 2005, he served as the Director of the Office of Secondary Market Oversight, a position he assumed in 2004. Mr. Jacob joined the Agency in 1986 as a credit examiner in the Sacramento field office. In 1988, he transferred to FCA’s headquarters in McLean, Virginia, where he served as a commissioned FCA examiner, as an information systems examiner, and as a capital markets specialist in the Office of Examination. In 1997, he transferred to the Office of Policy and Analysis, where he served as a senior policy analyst and a senior financial analyst before becoming the Assistant Director of the office in 1999. Mr. Jacob holds the Chartered Financial Analyst® (CFA) designation, which the CFA Institute awarded him in 2000.
B. Jeffrey McGiboney assumed the position of Equal Employment Opportunity Coordinator as a collateral duty on November 20, 2006. In this capacity, Mr. McGiboney administers and coordinates the activities and functions of the Agency’s program of nondiscrimination and affirmative action. His primary position is that of a senior operating accountant in the Office of Management Services. Mr. McGiboney joined the Agency in June 1986 as an examiner in FCA’s Louisville field office. He became a commissioned examiner in September 1990 and worked in the FCA Atlanta and McLean field offices. In June 1999, he became the senior operating accountant for FCA.
Thomas G. McKenzie is Chief Examiner and Director of the Office of Examination. Before his current position, he served as Director of the Office of Secondary Market Oversight and as Director of the Office of Policy and Analysis; he has also held Regional and Division Director positions in the Office of Examination and the former Office of Supervision. As a Regional Director he oversaw field office operations in Albany, Atlanta, Dallas, Denver, and Sacramento. Before joining FCA in 1979, he was a regional manager for a Federal Land Bank; a manager and CEO of a Federal Land Bank Association; and a financial analyst for a Bank for Cooperatives, where he began his career in agricultural credit in 1971.
Charles R. Rawls is the FCA General Counsel. Before joining FCA in March 2003, he was general counsel and vice president for legal, tax, and accounting at the National Council of Farmer Cooperatives. During the consideration of the 2002 farm bill, he served as the General Counsel of the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry. From 1998 to 2001, he was General Counsel for the USDA, and from 1993 to 1998 he was Chief of Staff to the Deputy Secretary of Agriculture. From 1988 to 1993, he was Legislative Director and then Administrative Assistant to Congressman Martin Lancaster. From 1985 to 1988, he was Associate General Counsel of the House Committee on Agriculture. He was Counsel to the House Agriculture Subcommittee on Forests, Family Farms, and Energy from 1983 to 1985.
Martha Schober is Director of the Office of Congressional and Public Affairs. Before joining FCA, she served as a congressional liaison in the Office of Congressional Relations at the USDA. She also served as a confidential assistant to the administrator at USDA’s Risk Management Agency. Before entering Government service, Ms. Schober was the director of congressional relations at the American Cotton Shippers Association.
Roland E. Smith became Secretary to the FCA Board in January 2006. He began his career with the FCS in 1974, when he became a loan officer for a System association in Greenville, North Carolina. He later served as a loan officer and credit reviewer for the Farm Credit Banks of Columbia, South Carolina. In 1979, Mr. Smith joined FCA as an examiner in the St. Louis field office. In 1984, he was promoted to Associate Regional Director. He later managed FCA’s Oklahoma City field office and then the Denver field office. In 1996, Mr. Smith was named Chief Examiner and Director of the Office of Examination. He served as the Agency’s Executive Director of Planning and Projects from August 2004 until January 2006.
Stephen G. Smith is the Chief Financial Officer and Director of the Office of Management Services. Before accepting this position, he served as the Agency’s Inspector General. He joined FCA in 1981 as a technical specialist, became an examiner in 1984, and later served as staff assistant for the Chief Examiner. In 1989, he was named Associate Regional Director for the Agency’s New York field office and then served as Senior Staff Director for the Chief Examiner before being named Director of the Technical and Operations Division. In 1993, he assumed new responsibilities as Director of the Information Resources Division. He was named Chief Information Officer in 1996, directing all technology and information operations for FCA. Before joining the Agency, he worked at the North Central Jersey Farm Credit Associations.
