Marion Harris named President and Chief Executive Officer of AgFirst Farm Credit Bank

Former President and Chief Executive Officer of Ford Motor Credit Company to lead the wholesale lender and business-service provider to a network of local farm credit associations across 15 southern and eastern states and Puerto Rico. 

COLUMBIA, SC – The AgFirst Farm Credit Bank (AgFirst) Board of Directors is pleased to announce the appointment of Marion Harris, former President and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Ford Motor Credit Company (Ford Motor Credit), as its next President and CEO, effective July 14, 2025. 

Harris, a native of Pascagoula, Mississippi, brings to AgFirst over three decades of leadership in roles of increasing responsibility and consequence across capital markets, asset/liability risk management, international finance, business development and technology transformation across the automotive, captive finance and banking sectors. He most recently served as Chairman and CEO of Ford Motor Credit Company, the captive finance lending arm of Ford Motor Company, where he led a digital transformation program that resulted in the highest consumer satisfaction in the industry. In this role, Mr. Harris was named Auto Finance Executive of the Year by Auto Finance News. In his more than 25-year career at Ford Motor company, Mr. Harris held various executive roles in automotive and financial services. 

Harris states, “I’m honored to join AgFirst Farm Credit Bank and excited to be part of an institution with such a strong legacy of service to agriculture and rural America and its communities. The mission of Farm Credit – to support rural communities and agriculture with reliable, consistent credit – is more important than ever, and I’m inspired by the opportunity to lead a team so deeply committed to that purpose. I look forward to working alongside the AgFirst team and our partners across the Farm Credit System to build on the bank’s strengths and serve our customers with excellence.” 

Harris succeeds Tim Amerson, who retired as AgFirst’s President and CEO after 37 years of service on December 31, 2024, and will take the helm from Pat Calhoun, AgFirst’s Chief Credit Officer, who served as interim President and CEO since Amerson’s retirement. Calhoun, who has been with the AgFirst District for over 35 years, including previously serving as CEO of AgSouth Farm Credit, will return to his prior role as Chief Credit Officer of AgFirst, which he assumed in late 2024. 

AgFirst Board Chair William Robinson states, “after a comprehensive and rigorous national search, we are delighted to welcome Marion Harris as our next President and CEO. We are confident that he will bring deep finance expertise, sound executive leadership discipline, and fresh perspective to our organization in support of our mission and for the benefit of all of our stakeholders. I want to thank Pat Calhoun for dutifully and capably serving as our interim President and CEO since late last year. The entire AgFirst family is deeply grateful to Pat and looks enthusiastically forward to our bright future under Marion’s leadership.” 

Harris earned his B.S. in Mathematics and his M.A. in Mathematics from Mississippi State University in 1991 and 1993 respectively. He serves on the board of Cerence Inc. and on the advisory boards of Mobility Impact Partners LP and Harbinger Motors Inc. Harris and his wife of over three decades will be relocating to the Columbia, South Carolina, area as soon as possible. 

About AgFirst Farm Credit Bank 

Headquartered in Columbia, S.C., AgFirst Farm Credit Bank is one of four wholesale banks in the nationwide Farm Credit System. Farm Credit has supported rural communities and agriculture with reliable, consistent credit and financial services for more than 100 years. AgFirst is a cooperative that provides funding and services to association partners in 15 states and Puerto Rico.