If You See or Know These Women, Give Them a High Five!

By Michelle Pelletier Marshall and Farm Credit Council (July 28, 2026)

Forty-one women from across the country will participate in Farm Credit Council’s Advancing Women in Agriculture through Resilience & Distinction (AWARD). This one-time initiative, in recognition of the International Year of the Woman Farmer (IYWF), is dedicated to celebrating and showcasing female leaders across the Farm Credit System, while providing a meaningful opportunity to strengthen their leadership capabilities.

The participants were nominated as leaders by their respective Farm Credit bank or association from across the country and include customers, directors and employees of the institutions. The group will travel to famed Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, August 31 through September 3, 2026, to attend the AWARD program that blends historical lessons in decision-making, legacy-building, and resilience with modern leadership strategies.

“These women are not only leaders in the fields they tend, but in the futures they cultivate,” said Christy Seyfert, president & CEO of the Farm Credit Council. “We’re proud to invest in their growth and amplify their stories.”

Deidre Iciek is a comprehensive nutrient management plan consultant, and she and her family also own Iciek Dairy in Gladwin, Michigan.

When asked what it means to be selected for this program, Deidre Iciek, co-founder of Regenerative Connections and a Gladwin-based dairy farmer in Michigan, responded, “It is truly an honor to be selected for the AWARD program. Knowing that others recognize the effort, dedication, and impact you’re making within the industry and the community is both meaningful and humbling. Building friendships and strong relationships within the dairy farming community has been incredibly rewarding, and I’m excited to expand that network, connecting with and learning from women in agriculture across the United States. This opportunity represents not just recognition, but a chance to grow, collaborate, and continue supporting one another in meaningful ways.”

Lorraine Marsh operates Sycamore Marsh Farm, a diversified California farming operation producing tomatoes, rice, dry beans, almonds, walnuts, grains, and forage crops in the Sacramento Valley.

The AWARD program prepares participants to return to their communities with renewed purpose and power through sharing the stories of their leadership journeys, which will be featured throughout 2026 in the Farm Credit System to coincide with IYWF.

AWARD participant from California, Lorraine Marsh, who is co-owner of Sycamore Marsh Farm in Arbuckle, said that she hopes to “gain a broader perspective on how agricultural leaders across the country are navigating risk, change, and long-term sustainability in their own regions. There is value in understanding how others approach similar challenges under different conditions.”

Others, like Lindy McMillen, director of Grain Trading at Garden City Co-op in Kansas, noted, “I am honored to be on a list of such high-powered women. Women have been helping keep agriculture moving forward for generations, often behind the scenes. I am excited about this program because it honors the women who shaped agriculture long before my time, while also shining a light on women leading the industry today and paving the way for generations to come.” 

Lindy McMillen grew up with a passion for agriculture and is now the co‑owner of McMillen Farms, Inc. Over the past six years, she and her husband have grown their family farm in Lane County, Kansas, into a dryland operation producing milo, corn, and wheat.

Those being recognized and attending the Farm Credit Council AWARD program next month are:

• Natalie Farmer, AgCarolina Farm Credit

• Lynn Pietig, AgCountry Farm Credit Services

• Jenny Black, AgFirst Farm Credit Bank

• Jessica Alsobrook, AgGeorgia Farm Credit

• Michaela Meskimen, AgriBank Farm Credit Bank

• Kristy Arnold, AgSouth Farm Credit

• Chelsey Dobrovolny, AgTexas Farm Credit Services

• Tina Murphy, AgTrust

• Amy Frye, AgWest Farm Credit

• Annie Dee, Alabama AgCredit

• Jordyn Upchurch, Alabama Farm Credit

• Verity Ulibarri, American AgCredit

• Amanda Brown, Capital Farm Credit

• Carrie Morris, Central Texas Farm Credit

• Stephanie Loughner, CoBank, ACB

• Jennifer Cuthbertson, Colonial Farm Credit

• Kristin Duncanson, Compeer Financial

• Katy Fleming, Farm Credit Bank of Texas

• Laurie Griffen, Farm Credit East

• Christy Hale Pound, Farm Credit Illinois

• Jennifer Riethman, Farm Credit Mid-America

• Rena Johnson, Farm Credit of the Virginias

• Jacee Dobbs, Farm Credit of Western Kansas

• Jamie Glover, Farm Credit of Western Oklahoma

• Kelli Berg, Farm Credit Services of America

• Lorraine Marsh, Colusa-Glenn Farm Credit

• Terra Luebbering, FCS Financial

• Sandi Schmiesing, Fresno-Madera Farm Credit

• Barb Downey, Frontier Farm Credit

• Anneke de Jong, Golden State Farm Credit

• Deidre Iciek, GreenStone Farm Credit Services

• Lindy McMillen, High Plains Farm Credit

• Alice Crothers, Horizon Farm Credit

• Michelle Clogston, Oklahoma AgCredit

• Hanna Williams, Plains Land Bank

• Jessica Brophy, Premier Farm Credit

• Kati Kelley Crager, Southern AgCredit

• Stephanie Shiba Martinez, Texas Farm Credit

• Kathryn (Kate) Nye, Western AgCredit

• Darcy Vlot, Yosemite Farm Credit

Hear more from Farm Credit Council representatives as they join the 15^th annual Women in Agribusiness Summit in New Orleans, this fall, September 22-24, as sponsors and participants.