Meet Our Team
Our innovative approach to agricultural finance would not be possible without our leadership team who inspire, empower, and propel the success of both our company and the clients we're proud to serve.
Executive Team
Brian G. Philpot, JD
Chief Executive Officer & Principal Owner
Brian Philpot is the Chief Executive Officer and Principal Owner of AgAmerica, with headquarters located in Lakeland, FL. His background includes extensive experience in real estate investing, agriculture lending, real estate law, market analysis, and negotiation.
AgAmerica developed from Brian's long-time investment company, Land South Group. Founded in the late 1990s, Land South Group was an investment firm with a particular focus in timberland, agricultural, and conservation real estate across the southeastern U.S. Land South Group also made value investments in residential development, industrial real estate, manufactured housing, office properties, mitigation banks, broadcast towers, and distressed real estate debt.
Dan Kashdin
Co-President
Dan Kashdin joined AgAmerica in August 2018 and serves as Co-President.
Dan brings over 20 years of experience in financial services, including 12 years in New York City. Before AgAmerica, Dan served as Senior Vice President of Finance at Ditech Holding Corporation (f/k/a Walter Investment Management Corp), a publicly traded servicer and originator of residential mortgage loans. While at Ditech, he was a member of the company's Operating Committee, led the Financial Planning & Analysis department, had responsibility over process improvement and efficiency projects, and executed the acquisition of a loan servicing platform.
Dan's experience includes providing strategic advice on financing transactions and M&A to traditional asset managers, alternative asset managers, and BDCs, which he gained as Director of Investment Banking in the Financial Institutions Group at Barclays. Prior to Barclays' acquisition of Lehman Brothers, Dan was Vice President of Investment Banking in the Global Finance Solutions Group at Lehman Brothers where he provided structured solutions across a wide range of products with a focus on accounting, tax, regulatory, and legal implications.
Dan started his career in the Transaction Services Group at PwC where he advised corporate clients and financial sponsors on complex transaction structuring issues.
Dan received his Masters and Bachelor of Accounting from the University of Florida where he graduated with Highest Honors, and he is a Certified Public Accountant.
Courtney Eelman
Co-President
Courtney Eelman serves as Co-President of AgAmerica, where she plays a pivotal role in aligning the company’s strategy, processes, people, technology, and knowledge across its lending operations. With over two decades of experience in agricultural credit, Courtney brings a deep understanding of risk management and operational strategy to her leadership.
Since joining AgAmerica in 2017, Courtney has overseen the development and integration of key functions including Credit, Applications Strategy, Project Management, Data Solutions, IT Operations, and Retail Production, as well as the Closing and Post-Closing processes. Her leadership has been instrumental in establishing in-house departments for Appraisal, Credit, and Servicing, and in securing Central Servicer status with a major agricultural government-sponsored enterprise. She was also instrumental in creating AgAmerica’s Probability of Default (PD) rating system, a classification framework that supports credit risk assessment and loan pricing decisions
Courtney also leads AgAmerica’s FinTech function, guiding the firm’s technology roadmap to support scalable, client-centric solutions. Her vision for the company includes transforming the agricultural lending experience through enhanced speed, transparency, and innovation—making it more accessible and efficient for borrowers nationwide.
Prior to AgAmerica, Courtney spent 17 years at Farm Credit of Central Florida, where she rose to Chief Credit Officer. Her responsibilities included credit risk management, loan portfolio compliance, and credit policies and procedures implementation. She also assisted in the development of a centralized credit department for the Central Florida ACA expansion.
Beyond her corporate leadership, Courtney is deeply engaged in the Lakeland community. She serves on the Board of Directors for the Lakeland Economic Development Council (LEDC) and is an active participant in its High-Skill, High-Wage Initiative, which supports workforce development and the recruitment of research-oriented companies to the region.
Courtney holds an MBA and BS from the University of South Florida and is a graduate of the Graduate School of Banking at Louisiana State University.
Dr. David Mieczkowski
EVP, Chief Investment Officer
Dr. David Mieczkowski is the SVP & Chief Investment Officer for AgAmerica. Since 2018, he has been an involved and highly respected member of AgAmerica’s Advisory Board.
Prior to AgAmerica, Dr. Mieczkowski held the role of Director of Fixed Income & Credit and a Portfolio Manager for SCS Financial—an $18bn investment and wealth management firm that serves families, family offices, and institutional investors—where he is responsible for managing $3bn in capital across cash, core fixed income, and multi-sector credit fund-of-fund portfolios.
Prior to joining SCS, Dr. Mieczkowski was the lead fixed income strategist for Fidelity Investments' Strategic Advisors—a $200bn managed account business—where he advised on asset allocation, manager selection, and business cycle modeling. He was also the Head of Fixed Income Quantitative Research at FactSet Research Systems, where he built out and led a research team that developed fixed-income analytics and multi-asset class risk models for the firm.
Dr. Mieczkowski was a principal editor and contributing author to Investment Risk and Uncertainty: Advanced Risk Awareness Tools and Techniques for the Intelligent Investor.
Before his career in investments, Dr. Mieczkowski worked in academia as a research fellow and lecturer and has taught mathematics at SUNY Stony Brook and Penn State University. He holds a B.S. in Honors Mathematics from the University of Michigan, a Ph.D. in Mathematics from Penn State University, and an MBA from Cornell University.
Adara Richter
EVP, Chief of Staff, & Chief Brand & Talent Officer
Adara Richter joined the AgAmerica team in April of 2017 and currently serves as Executive Vice President, Chief of Staff and Chief Brand & Talent Officer, leading Brand/Marketing, Media, Talent Strategy & HR, and CEO Office Operations.
Adara plays a pivotal role in driving AgAmerica’s strategic vision, ensuring seamless alignment between the company’s mission, brand identity, and internal culture as the organization reaches new heights of sophistication. As a key leader, she oversees comprehensive marketing strategies, spearheads the systematic development of employee training programs, and effectively delegates company-wide priorities and values. Adara is instrumental in fostering AgAmerica’s growth by championing employee development, cultivating a strong and cohesive company culture, and maintaining a dynamic internal communication cadence that supports sustained organizational success.
In addition to leading talent operations and strategy, Adara drives AgAmerica’s overarching brand strategy, guiding the teams responsible for delivering a cohesive and compelling brand voice across all internal and external channels. Her efforts ensure that key stakeholders—including clients, investors, and employees—experience a consistent and impactful representation of AgAmerica’s values and mission at every touchpoint.
Under Adara’s leadership, AgAmerica has received local, state, and national recognition from top industry publications and organizations, including:
- Fortune’s Great Places to Work
- Inc. 5000 Best Workplaces
- Inc. 5000 National and Regional Fastest Growing Private Companies
- Financial Times Fastest Growing Companies
- American Advertising Awards
- Tampa Bay Business Journal Fast 50 Fastest Growing Companies
- Florida Trends Most influential Business Leaders
Prior to her role at AgAmerica, Adara worked in higher education recruitment in the Mid-West and South-East markets, overseeing a team responsible for relationship management, marketing strategies, and pipeline development. She is a Florida native and graduate of Florida Southern College, where she received her Bachelor of Arts degree in English with a minor in Sociology, as well as a Master of Science degree in Industrial and Organizational Psychology. Outside of her professional endeavors, she is an active member of Big Brothers Big Sisters and former board member of the Florida Children’s Museum.
Fernanda Ospina
EVP, Chief Operating Officer
Fernanda Ospina serves as EVP & Chief Operating Officer at AgAmerica. She joined the team in February of 2019 and has a B.A. in business administration as well as a B.A. in Spanish with a minor in accounting and finance.
Early on in her career, Fernanda worked as a Financial Analyst for Cincinnati Bell Technology Solutions and later as a Senior Cost Analyst in the agricultural sector at Pacific Tomato Growers. In this role, she prepared cost accounting information to determine daily business activity expenses.
Prior to joining AgAmerica, Fernanda was one of the Senior Associates at Benchmark International, a sales-side M&A firm in Tampa, Florida. As a financial associate, she communicated with business owners to obtain information regarding the company’s operations and financial situation. She analyzed clients’ financial statements and other corporate documents to find the unique strengths each company possessed to increase valuation once negotiating the desired exit strategy. During her career at Benchmark International, Fernanda developed relationships with private equity and venture capital funds, family offices, and active trade buyers. Along with her team, Fernanda completed successful transactions in diverse industries such as pharmacy software, engineering, healthcare, commercial landscaping, communications as a service (CaaS), software as a service (SaaS), wholesale, multi-location retail, media, and enterprise software, among others. Through this experience, Fernanda gained a deeper understanding of common struggles business owners face and how to provide support that best suits their specific needs.
In her role, Fernanda manages the operations of the organization, where she formulates business strategies with other executive team members, designs policies and procedures, manages performance, and implements technology solutions. With her M&A, finance and accounting background, and extensive understanding of analytic reporting and servicing, she is able to communicate with internal team members, as well as with prospective and existing clients in an efficient and effective manner. Fernanda prioritizes exceptional customer service, professionalism, and transparency throughout the loan process, making it a refreshingly manageable experience for all parties involved.
John Culbreth
EVP, Chief Financial Officer
John Culbreth has been with AgAmerica since December 2018 and serves as the Chief Financial Officer. He oversees the treasury functions and operating budget within the company. John earned a Master of Business Administration in Finance and bachelor’s in accounting at the University of Tennessee in Chattanooga. He is also a Certified Public Accountant.
John brings more than 26 years of experience in accounting and financing. He spent nearly 21 years with Ditech Holding Corporation (f/k/a Walter Investment Management Corporation). The constant evolution of the company gave John the opportunity to manage a broad spectrum of responsibilities for the publicly traded independent servicer and originator of residential mortgage loans. Some of these responsibilities included corporate accounting functions, captive reinsurance accounting, and balance sheet loan accounting. He managed fund accounting for the company’s capital partner and centralized shared services accounting functions.
Prior to Ditech, John was an Internal Auditor promoted to Controller at Jim Walter Homes—one of the largest national on-your-lot home building companies. He managed an array of accounting functions including forecasts, metrics, statistics, and strategic planning. He uses his extensive experience in the finance world at AgAmerica to develop more robust internal reporting strategies, further automate financial processes, and perform upgrades to the accounting system.
Cameron Flowers
Chief Growth Officer
Cam Flowers is the Chief Growth Officer at AgAmerica, joining the company in 2013 with a B.S. degree in food science from Clemson University and deep roots in American agriculture.
Cam is a seventh-generation South Carolinian who grew up working on his family’s tobacco and swine farm. Agriculture has always been a fundamental part of his life. In high school, he won both the state FFA soil judging and farm business management competitions. Today, he operates a small cattle herd in South Carolina with the help of his brother that offers healthy, grass-fed Angus beef to the surrounding local market.
In college, he served as Student Body Vice President where he helped oversee a $2.4 million budget and led a team that raised the Clemson PSA (agriculture) funding by almost 10 percent. This initiative helped refocus Clemson’s emphasis on keeping agriculture a top priority long after he graduated. Other organization memberships he held during his collegiate career included the Tiger Brotherhood, Blue Key Honors Society, Interfraternity Council, and Alpha Gamma Rho Fraternity–a fraternity based on the principals of agriculture. His active campus involvement in both academic and agricultural organizations developed his ability to network and build meaningful relationships with those he worked with to implement positive change.
After graduation from Clemson, Cam chose to follow his passion for agriculture and found a company that aligned with his mission to advocate for and support the dreams of American farmers nationwide. As Chief Growth Officer, Cam leads the retail team in customizing loans to meet the specific needs of the clients they serve. His lifelong experience as a farmer and rancher enables him to take a hands-on approach in ensuring each product is structured in a way that will support the success of his clients’ agricultural operations for years to come.
Leadership
Max Davis
Managing Director, Client Growth & Relationship Management
Max Davis has been with AgAmerica since January of 2020. Max’s unique combination of education, military service, and rural upbringing provides him with the skillset needed to best serve farmers and ranchers. Max was raised in a small town in Idaho and grew up surrounded by the timber industry. His childhood instilled a deep respect for the hardworking people in agriculture at a young age.
After graduating from Boise State with a B.A. in history, Max pursued a career in the U.S. Army Special Forces. He was deployed as a “Green Beret” to multiple countries in Southeast Asia and Afghanistan and is a decorated special operations combat veteran. As a U.S. Special Forces leader, Max gained rich experience in complex operational planning. He executed sophisticated, multi-faceted operations in ambiguous environments and was able to accomplish measurable results under pressure. He has a comprehensive background in operations planning and cross-team dynamics derived from conducting domestic and global assignments. He is now a member of the Special Forces Association and Veterans Association in Idaho. Once his military career came to an end, he sought to return to his roots with a career in agriculture. He is proud to be part of a company that empowers farmers and ranchers to keep our nation fed.
In his current role, Max spearheads the growth and development of AgAmerica by working with clients across the nation. By keeping relationships at the forefront, Max works to enhance the financing experience for American farmers, ranchers, and rural landowners nationwide.
Walker Gibson
Head of Institutional Production
Walker Gibson has been with AgAmerica since April of 2020. Walker is a proud Clemson University alumnus, holding a B.S. in Financial Management from the Calhoun Honors College. He is also a CFA charter holder through the CFA Institute.
Walker has been making credit decisions and managing investments within the agribusiness industry since 2013. Most recently in his role as Vice President at AGR Partners, he was a member of the investment team. He sourced, structured, and underwrote new deal opportunities as well as held board positions within portfolio companies across the tree nut and stone fruit industries.
Before AGR Partners, Walker worked at TIAA as a Derivatives Services Team Lead then later a Private Markets Associate within TIAA’s real assets team. His derivatives team lead responsibilities included trade research and structuring, collateral management, and P&L analytics on derivative portfolio sleeves across the organization with a focus on hedging interest rate, currency, and credit risk. As a Private Markets Associate, he managed the investment underwriting and portfolio construction of TIAA’s real asset investment program with a focus on direct equity originations across both farmland and vertically integrated agribusiness sectors. Walker was also responsible for spearheading business development activities and the strategic direction of the certain asset classes across both private equity and fixed income.
In his current role, Walker leads the analysis of potential loan opportunities of $7MM or greater. He is responsible for developing a credit team and implementing operating efficiencies regarding AgAmerica’s large loan process as well as assisting in the development of alternative products and structures.
David Melton
Managing Director, Capital Markets
Joining AgAmerica in 2023, David brings more than 15 years of financial services experience and an extensive industry network to the company.
David graduated Magna Cum Laude from Duke University in 2008 and has been in the capital markets sector ever since. Prior to AgAmerica, David was a Director on the Institutional Solutions team at Credit Suisse where he was responsible for providing financing, hedging, and alternative risk premia strategies to several of the largest asset owners across the United States. Prior to that, he was a Vice President at
Deutsche Bank where he advised hedge funds, asset managers, and pensions on structured derivatives and financing.
As Managing Director of Capital Markets, David oversees capital markets operations, with a primary focus on optimizing the company's capital allocation, enhancing liquidity, and overseeing key financing partnerships. Through his expertise in global financial services, he brings sophisticated capital structuring and modeling capabilities to Rural America and is instrumental in guiding AgAmerica’s financial strategy to better support the American farmer.
AJ Porreca
Chief Credit Officer
A.J. Porreca serves as the Chief Credit Officer at AgAmerica. A graduate of Florida Southern College, he holds a double-major in Accounting and Business Administration. A.J. began his career with AgAmerica in May 2014, following a pivotal internship with Land South Group in his senior semester.
Over the years, A.J. has leveraged his extensive background in finance and strategic management to enhance AgAmerica's credit operations. His early career was also marked by his competitive spirit as a member of the US barefoot water-skiing team and a world-ranked athlete, experiences that honed his leadership skills and ability to work effectively across diverse cultures.
In his current role, A.J. leads the credit department with a focus on maintaining the integrity of credit processes and driving financial strategies that support AgAmerica's growth and client relationships.
Veronica Rodriguez
Chief Marketing Officer
Veronica Rodriguez has been with AgAmerica since 2018 and serves as the Chief Marketing Officer.
As a seasoned marketing professional, Veronica has a proven track record of working with executives to drive strategic marketing initiatives and deliver holistic innovative marketing solutions for her organizations. Specializing in marketing and brand strategy, demand generation, content marketing, inbound sales, and customer experience management, she has played a pivotal role in shaping and amplifying the market presence of AgAmerica and other organizations she has worked with.
As an award-winning marketing leader, she holds a strong conviction that transparency and collaboration, innovative risk-taking strategies, and a mission-driven organization are pivotal factors that set apart a thriving brand and team in today's market landscape.
Prior to her role at AgAmerica, Veronica held the position of Director of Marketing at A-LIGN, an Inc 5000 fastest-growing global information security and compliance firm. In this capacity, she successfully aligned marketing and sales teams and implemented technology solutions across the path-to-purchase funnel to enhance efficiencies and scale business growth.
Veronica holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Business Administration with a concentration in International Business and Marketing from the University of Tampa. In addition to her professional commitments, Veronica is actively involved in the industry, contributing as a 2nd Vice President on the board of the American Advertising Federation of Polk County and is a member of the Florida Farm Bureau Federation of Hillsborough County.
On the hunt for a career that prioritizes professional and personal growth while making a difference? We’re looking for you, too.
Advisory Board
Meet our team of sophisticated thought leaders who help guide us in our mission to serve American agriculture.
Governor Jeb Bush
Partner, Advisory Board Chairman
Governor Bush was the 43rd governor of the state of Florida, serving from 1999 through 2007. During his two terms, Governor Bush remained true to his conservative principles, cutting taxes, vetoing earmarks and championing major reform of government programs.
Under his leadership, Florida was on the forefront of consumer healthcare advances, led the nation in job growth, and launched and accelerated restoration of America's Everglades. In education, Florida raised academic standards, required accountability in public schools and created the most ambitious school choice programs in the nation. As a result, Florida students have made the greatest gains in academic achievement and Florida is one of a handful of states to significantly narrow the achievement gap.
Prior to and after his tenure as Florida's chief executive, Governor Bush was actively involved in the private sector, helping to build the largest full service real estate company in South Florida and owning and operating successful consulting and investing businesses. Governor Bush is a co-founder and Chairman of Dock Square Capital LLC, a merchant bank headquartered in Miami and focused on principal investments, strategic advisory services and joint ventures.
Governor Bush maintains his passion for improving the quality of education for students by serving as the chairman of the Foundation for Excellence in Education, a national non-profit organization he founded to work with education leaders, teachers, parents and advocates to develop and implement reforms that lead to rising student achievement.
Governor Bush has written three books, Profiles in Character; Immigration Wars: Forging an American Solution; and Reply All: A Governor's Story 1999-2007.
Commissioner Adam Putnam
Advisory Board Member
Adam Putnam serves as CEO of Ducks Unlimited - only the 6th executive staff leader in the organization's 82-year history. A lifelong farmer and rancher, he has dedicated much of his career to agricultural and natural resource conservation.
Prior to joining DU, Adam served as Florida's Commissioner of Agriculture where he worked to protect and promote the state's $120 billion agriculture industry, managed 1.3 million acres of state forests, and spearheaded the protection of 50,000 acres of working agricultural lands. From 2001-2011, Adam represented central Florida in the US House of Representatives. During his tenure on the Hill, he was a member of the Agriculture, Financial Services, and Rules Committees, as well as Republican Policy Chairman. Adam also served as Chairman of the Republican Conference, the third-ranking position in the Congressional Leadership.
Secretary Mike Johanns
Advisory Board Member
Former Secretary of Agriculture, Mike Johanns, is a well-respected figure in the agricultural community. He served as the Governor of Nebraska for six years, during which he was a strong advocate for farmers, ranchers, and rural communities. He went on to become the 28th Secretary of the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) in 2005 and later served as a United States Senator from Nebraska from 2009 to 2015.
As a member of the National Governors' Association and the Western Governors' Association, Johanns focused on important agricultural issues such as drought relief, ethanol, and the 2002 Farm Bill. During his tenure as Secretary of Agriculture, he played a pivotal role in increasing funding for the Farm Bill conservation title, which provided support for farmers and American landowners in protecting the natural resources they steward.
Secretary Johanns' experience practicing law during the farm crisis of the 1980s taught him the importance of financial partnerships and guidance for farmers. He understands the challenges and needs of those in the agricultural community, and his deep roots in this industry make him an invaluable asset to the future of American agriculture.
George Huber
Partner, Advisory Board Member
George Huber is a co-founder and Managing Principal of Dock Square Capital LLC, a Miami based merchant bank focused on principal investments, strategic advisory services and joint ventures. He is also founder and managing principal of Equity Investment Group an Indiana based commercial real estate investment firm which has completed over $7 Billion worth of transactions throughout the United States covering retail, office, industrial, multi-family, hotel and multiple other property types.
By the early 2000's, Equity Investment Group, as a private retail REIT, had become one of the largest private owner/managers of retail real estate in the United States, with offices in six states and 120 shopping centers nationwide.
Mr. Huber also co-founded, owned and managed Blue Vista Capital Management, LLC, a Chicago based real estate investment management company that raised and managed in excess of $1 Billion of institutional equity through closed-end funds, separate accounts and joint venture relationships totaling approximately $5.25 Billion of capitalization. Mr. Huber also co-owned and served as Managing Principal of Peak Campus Companies, one of the five largest student housing managers and developers in the United States.
Mr. Huber has been active on numerous professional and charitable organizations including serving on the Board of Directors for publicly-traded companies Fort Wayne National Corporation (NASDAQ:FWNC) and Lakeland Financial Corporation (NASDAQ:LKFN) along with leading the boards as Chairman of the Board of Trustees for The Canterbury School; Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Fort Wayne Chamber of Commerce; Chairman of the Board of Directors of Goodwill Industries Northern Indiana; and Chairman of the Board of Directors Downtown Fort Wayne Economic Improvement District.
Mr. Huber holds a B.A. in Business from Vanderbilt University and an MBA with Honors from the University of Michigan.
Wesley Barnett
Advisory Board Member
Wesley Barnett is an experienced entrepreneur and business executive with a comprehensive background in start-up investments and real estate development. He is a board member of Citizens Bank and Trust, All Saints Academy, and the GiveWell Community Foundation. He is also a managing partner of Mayfair Properties of Lakeland.
Mr. Barnett earned his B.S. in Business, Finance, from Wake Forest University. After graduation, he was the Director of Strategic Planning and, later, the Managing Partner of TreeTop Commons LLC, a cloud-based software company that empowers community engagement through the implementation of powerful online tools. During his 12-year tenure with the company, he simultaneously worked towards and completed his Master of Business Administration in three years from the UCLA Anderson School of Management.
The son of Carol and Barney Barnett, Mr. Barnett is a Lakeland native who is an active member of the Polk County community, as well as local communities across the state of Florida. His deep commitment to making a positive impact on his community has led him to establish philanthropic organizations, such as United Way and The Children's Movement. He is also one of the founders of Lakeland's Bonnet Springs Park.
David Rancourt
Advisory Board Member
David Rancourt is the Vice Provost for Strategic Initiatives and VP of Enrollment Management, Admissions and Financial Aid at New College of Florida David also served New College previously as the Interim Provost and VP of Student Affairs. A native Floridian David holds a BS degree in economics from Florida State University, an MA in political science from the University of Florida, a certificate from the Institute of Cultural Diplomacy in Berlin, and a PhD from the University of Bucharest (Romania) in philosophy where his research in applied ethics and moral theory earned magna cum laude honors.
David’s professional career began in campaign politics, fully emersed in Florida’s GOP battles for Congressional and Gubernatorial candidates. His work in these campaigns led to opportunities in government where David served as Florida’s State Elections Director, Deputy Secretary of State and Deputy Chief of Staff to Governor Jeb Bush. Following his government service, David co-founded Southern Strategy Group and over the next decade grew the firm to America’s largest state-level lobbying practice with 21 offices in 16 states. David sold his interests in Southern Strategy Group in 2009 and then engaged as an investor or consultant in several businesses involved in international trade, communication, and advocacy, while also creating and investing in numerous other business opportunities. These investment enterprises include the medical, beverage, material science, real estate, agriculture, and financial services sectors and often involved leadership roles in several companies.
David currently serves on the Board of Directors for AgAmerica, lender to America’s farmer and as a member of the Board of Directors of Vitamin Energy, Inc. David has also served in leadership roles in several philanthropic endeavors such as Chairman of the Florida Gubernatorial Fellows Program, Vice Chairman of the Florida Center for the Performing Arts, National Chairman of the Florida State University Seminole Boosters and the as a member of the FSU Pi Kappa Alpha Alumni Board. David served on the FSU Republic of Panama Campus and the FSU International Programs boards for over a dozen years.
David and his wife Dr. Regan Rancourt have been married for 32 years and reside in Sarasota, Florida. They have two children and three grandchildren.