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 & Senior Leadership

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Co-CEO

Courtney Eelman

Co-CEO

Courtney Eelman serves as Co-CEO of AgAmerica, where she helps lead the company's strategic direction and continued evolution while staying focused on what matters most—helping farmers, ranchers, and rural landowners make confident decisions about their operations, their land, and their future.

With more than 25 years of experience in agricultural lending, Courtney brings a unique combination of industry expertise, strategic leadership, and operational insight. Throughout her career, she has led teams across credit, lending operations, technology, servicing, and business strategy. Since joining AgAmerica in 2017, she has played an integral role in developing the company's operational foundation, expanding organizational capabilities, and building the infrastructure, processes, and teams to serve the needs of its clients.

As Co-CEO, Courtney is focused on aligning people, technology, and strategy to create a seamless and efficient lending experience. She is passionate about helping clients make confident financing decisions and believes strong outcomes are built through trusted relationships, talented employees, and a commitment to continuous improvement.

Courtney prioritizes a culture that empowers employees, develops future leaders, and encourages innovation. She believes AgAmerica's greatest strength is its people and is committed to building an organization where employees have opportunities to grow, contribute, and make a meaningful impact while supporting the clients and communities AgAmerica serves.

Prior to joining AgAmerica, Courtney spent 17 years with Farm Credit of Central Florida, where she advanced to Chief Credit Officer and led credit risk management, loan portfolio oversight, compliance initiatives, and credit policy administration.

Beyond her corporate leadership, Courtney serves on the Board of Directors of the Lakeland Economic Development Council (LEDC) and supports initiatives focused on workforce development and economic growth in Central Florida.

Courtney holds an MBA and a Bachelor of Science degree from the University of South Florida and is a graduate of the Graduate School of Banking at Louisiana State University.

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Co-CEO

Dan Kashdin

Co-CEO

Dan Kashdin joined AgAmerica as CFO in August 2018, was appointed Co-President in April 2024, and became Co-CEO in July 2026.

As Co-CEO, Dan plays a key role in advancing AgAmerica's mission while balancing the interests of the company's clients, capital partners, and investors. He is responsible for the company's strategic growth initiatives and oversees all financial operations, helping drive long-term value creation and organizational performance. In addition to expanding the company’s nationwide reach, a primary focus of his is connecting capital with the unique and evolving needs of farmers and ranchers across the credit spectrum.

Dan brings 25 years of experience across financial services, investment banking, corporate finance, and strategic transactions. Prior to joining AgAmerica, he served as Senior Vice President of Finance at Ditech Holding Corporation (formerly Walter Investment Management Corp.), a publicly traded residential mortgage originator and servicer. At Ditech, he was a member of the Operating Committee, led Financial Planning & Analysis, spearheaded enterprise efficiency initiatives, and led the acquisition of a loan servicing platform.

Earlier in his career, Dan served as Director in the Financial Institutions Group at Barclays, where he advised traditional and alternative asset managers and business development companies (BDCs) on financing transactions and M&A. Before Barclays' acquisition of Lehman Brothers, he was Vice President in Lehman Brothers' Global Finance Solutions Group, providing structured financing and capital solutions with a focus on accounting, tax, regulatory, and legal considerations. He began his career at PwC in the firm's Transaction Services Group, advising corporate clients and financial sponsors on complex transaction structuring matters.

Dan earned both a Master of Accounting and a Bachelor of Science in Accounting from the University of Florida, graduating with Highest Honors.

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Chief Financial Officer

John Culbreth

Chief Financial Officer

John Culbreth has been with AgAmerica since December 2018 and serves as the Chief Financial Officer. He oversees financial planning and reporting, corporate accounting, tax, treasury, and fund compliance functions within the company. With more than 30 years of experience in corporate finance and accounting, John ensures financial discipline and alignment while partnering with his colleagues to guide strategic direction and operational execution.

Prior to joining AgAmerica, John spent 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, financial planning & analysis, centralized shared services across four lines of business, on-balance sheet loan accounting, and captive reinsurance accounting. He also managed fund accounting for the company’s forward flow capital partner.

Early in his career at Ditech, John was the Controller at Jim Walter Homes—the nation’s largest on-your-lot home builder. He managed an array of functions including cost accounting, forecasting, operational reporting, and oversight of the company’s annual business plan.

John earned a Master of Business Administration in Finance and a bachelor’s degree in accounting at the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga. He is also a Certified Public Accountant.

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Managing Director, Lending

Walker Gibson

Managing Director, Lending

Since joining AgAmerica in 2020, Walker has held a series of leadership positions across the organization. His progression through the company reflects broad experience in relationship management, investment structuring, portfolio management, and credit underwriting.

In his current role, Walker oversees AgAmerica's lending division, providing strategic leadership across the company's business development, portfolio management, and credit functions. He leads a nationwide team of relationship managers and credit analysts, directing business development efforts, credit decisioning, and customer retention initiatives to achieve annual origination and portfolio performance objectives. Working closely with executive leadership, Walker helps shape lending strategy, optimize portfolio growth, and expand AgAmerica's ability to serve farmers, ranchers, and rural landowners across the country. In addition to leading the lending organization, he maintains direct responsibility for a portfolio of client relationships, leveraging his extensive experience in agricultural finance to deliver customized lending solutions and long-term value to borrowers throughout the country.

Walker has more than a decade of experience in agricultural lending, investment management, and credit underwriting, having evaluated and managed capital across a broad range of agribusiness and farmland investments since 2013. Prior to joining AgAmerica, he served as Vice President at AGR Partners, where he sourced, structured, and underwrote investment opportunities throughout the agricultural sector. As a member of the investment team, he worked closely with portfolio company management teams and served on multiple boards, providing strategic oversight and governance to support long-term value creation. Earlier in his career, Walker worked at TIAA/Nuveen, where he gained experience across both private and public markets, evaluating agribusiness and farmland investment strategies while supporting enterprise risk management initiatives through currency, interest rate, and credit derivative hedging programs. This combination of lending, investing, and risk management experience provides him with a comprehensive perspective on finance and capital markets. As a leader, Walker is committed to developing talent, fostering a culture of accountability and continuous improvement, and empowering teams to make sound decisions that drive long-term success for both the organization and its clients.

Walker earned a B.S. in Financial Management from Clemson University's Calhoun Honors College in 2008, is a CFA charterholder, and currently resides in Charlotte, NC with his wife and two children.

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Managing Director, Capital Markets

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.

As Managing Director of Capital Markets, David builds relationships with the capital partners that deliver the origination capacity and product breadth to enable AgAmerica to meet American farmers, ranchers, and rural landowners wherever they find themselves in the business cycle. During his time at the company, he has expanded AgAmerica’s loan pricing, risk management, and secondary market capabilities. He brings thought leadership on macroeconomic trends and catalysts that provides actionable insights to stakeholders, partners, and clients. David collaborates with other leaders to unlock AgAmerica’s most transformative opportunities and solve its most pressing challenges.

Prior to joining AgAmerica, David was a Director on the Institutional Solutions desk at Credit Suisse in New York, where he advised institutional asset owners on implementing hedging, alternative risk premia, and quantitative investment strategies with derivatives. Additionally, he was part of a team tasked with structuring financing transactions to optimize the firm’s regulatory capital consumption and liquidity ratios. He began his career at Deutsche Bank, where his time on foreign exchange, rates, and equity desks evolved into a focus on macro hedge fund clients and expanding the firm’s Global Equity Derivatives business.

David graduated from Duke University with a B.S. in Economics and holds the Chartered Alternative Investment Analyst (CAIA) designation.

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Chief Operating Officer

Fernanda Ospina

Chief Operating Officer

Fernanda Ospina serves as Chief Operating Officer at AgAmerica, where she leads the company's operational strategy, organizational effectiveness, and execution across all business functions. As a member of the leadership team, she plays a pivotal role in driving growth, enhancing the client experience, and ensuring the company is positioned to scale while maintaining its commitment to exceptional service.

Since joining AgAmerica in 2019, Fernanda has been instrumental in transforming and strengthening the organization's operational infrastructure. She has led initiatives focused on process optimization, technology implementation, performance management, and cross-functional collaboration, helping create a more scalable and efficient organization while supporting the company's long-term strategic objectives. Working closely with the executive leadership team, she aligns operational execution with business strategy and fosters a culture of accountability, innovation, and continuous improvement.

Fernanda is recognized for her collaborative leadership style, analytical mindset, and ability to bridge strategy with execution. Drawing on her diverse background in finance, accounting, loan servicing, and operations management, she excels at translating complex business challenges into practical solutions that deliver meaningful results for clients, partners, and employees alike.

Prior to AgAmerica, Fernanda worked in mergers and acquisitions at Benchmark International, where she advised business owners on strategic transactions and helped facilitate successful acquisitions across a diverse range of industries. Earlier in her career, she held financial and cost accounting positions with Cincinnati Bell Technology Solutions and Pacific Tomato Growers, developing expertise in financial analysis, operational planning, and business performance management.

Fernanda earned dual bachelor's degrees in Business Administration and Spanish from Flagler College, along with a minor in Accounting and Finance. Originally from Venezuela and raised in Florida, she is passionate about developing high-performing teams, creating operational excellence, and advancing AgAmerica's mission of providing transparent, relationship-driven financing solutions for rural landowners, farmers, and ranchers across the country.

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Chief Credit Officer

AJ Porreca

Chief Credit Officer

A.J. Porreca serves as Chief Credit Officer at AgAmerica, where he leads the teams responsible for credit, portfolio management, and appraisal. He is passionate about working closely with borrowers, lending professionals, and company leadership to make thoughtful, relationship-driven lending decisions.

A graduate of Florida Southern College with a double major in Accounting and Business Administration, A.J. began his career with AgAmerica in February 2014. Since then, he has advanced through leadership roles spanning underwriting, portfolio management, and credit administration. Throughout his tenure, he has helped shape several of the company's core credit and risk management capabilities, including contributing to the development of AgAmerica's Probability of Default (PD) model in 2017, and establishing the Portfolio Management department in 2019.

A.J. and his team value proactive portfolio stewardship, risk mitigation, and the integrity of the credit process as guiding principles for balancing prudent credit management with the realities faced by today's agricultural producers.

As a leader, A.J. is committed to developing talent, fostering a strong credit culture, and ensuring AgAmerica remains a trusted financial partner to agricultural producers across the country. His work focuses on ensuring capital is deployed responsibly while helping farmers, ranchers, and agricultural businesses access flexible financing solutions that support growth, resilience, and long-term sustainability.

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Head of Marketing

Donya-Faye Wix

Head of Marketing

Donya-Faye Wix serves as Head of Marketing at AgAmerica, where she oversees the company’s Marketing department. Since joining AgAmerica in 2019 as a Digital Marketing Specialist, Donya-Faye has played a central role in advancing the company’s marketing strategy, strengthening its digital presence, and building the marketing infrastructure that supports AgAmerica’s continued growth.

In her role, Donya-Faye leads the strategy behind AgAmerica’s marketing and inbound sales initiatives, helping connect the company’s brand presence with measurable business growth. Her work has helped shape how AgAmerica reaches prospective borrowers, supports revenue-generating teams, and uses technology to create more targeted, efficient, and data-informed marketing programs.

During her time at AgAmerica, Donya-Faye has helped lead several major marketing milestones, including a full company rebrand, two major website redesigns, and the implementation of the company’s marketing automation platform. She has also contributed to award-winning marketing work recognized by the American Advertising Federation, including 2022 Benny Awards for AgAmerica’s Website Redesign Launch campaign and the Cooley Documentary cinematography. Some of her most meaningful work has come through helping tell the stories of AgAmerica’s clients, giving her a deeper understanding of the resilience, sacrifice, and responsibility carried by the farmers who support our global food system.

Prior to AgAmerica, Donya-Faye gained experience across both B2B and B2C marketing in higher education, retail, and veterinary medicine with previous roles at Echo Delta agency and W.S. Badcock Corporation. Her background in lead generation, customer experience, and digital strategy continues to shape her approach to building marketing programs that are both brand-aligned and revenue-focused.

Donya-Faye holds a Bachelor of Science in Environmental Management from the University of Maryland.

Meet Our Team

Executive & Senior Leadership

Co-CEO

Courtney Eelman

Co-CEO

Dan Kashdin

Chief Financial Officer

John Culbreth

Managing Director, Lending

Walker Gibson

Managing Director, Capital Markets

David Melton

Chief Operating Officer

Fernanda Ospina

Chief Credit Officer

AJ Porreca

Head of Marketing

Donya-Faye Wix

Meet Your Lending Team

Director, Lending

Evan Atchinson

Client Relations Specialist

Amanda Bishop

Associate Director, Lending

Hunter Bonner

Senior Director, Managed Accounts

Curt Covington

Senior Director, Closing and Lending Operations

Brevyn Foreman

Senior Director, Credit

Mayra Gonzalez

Associate Director, Lending

Jenny Hickox

Associate Director, Lending

Mallory Hunt

Junior Associate, Inbound Relations

Gracy Johnson

Junior Associate, Inbound Relations

Ashlyn Keene

Associate Director, Lending

Ashley Feehily

Director, Client Relations

Carrie Porterfield

Director, Managed Accounts

Preston Roberts

Associate Director, Lending

Morgan Sass

Associate Director, Lending

Clay Tucker

Associate Director, Lending

Luke Wilmoth