Bill Perry appointed AgWest president and CEO

SPOKANE–The AgWest Farm Credit Board of Directors has selected Bill Perry to serve as the next President and CEO of AgWest Farm Credit, which serves customer-members in a seven-state Farm Credit territory in the West, headquartered in Spokane, Wash.

Perry, now serving as AgWest's Chief Lending Officer, will follow current President and CEO Mark Littlefield and will assume CEO responsibilities on Jan. 1, 2025, following a planned transition period.

The CEO transition has been an integral part of the board's merger plan that brought together Farm Credit West and Northwest Farm Credit Services in January 2023. When Littlefield announced he would retire at the end of 2024, the board was confident they could select the next CEO from within the company.

"Bill's strategic, forward-thinking focus on our customers will allow him to excel at continuing to unite our staff while best serving our customer-members and supporting our rural communities," said Doug Filipponi, AgWest Board Chair. "The future of AgWest is bright, thanks to our great staff who are committed to championing agriculture together."

Beginning as a Credit Analyst Trainee in Billings, MT, Perry has been with AgWest for 20 years. He held a variety of previous roles including Montana President, Vice President of Enterprise Risk Management, and Relationship Manager. Raised on his family's cattle ranch in central Montana, Perry holds a Bachelor of Science degree in agricultural business from Montana State University and a Master of Science in agricultural economics from Kansas State University.