Farm Credit’s Aaron Miller is rooted in agriculture
Louisville, Kentucky (January 5, 2012) – As a Regional Vice President for Farm Credit Services of Mid-America, Aaron Miller oversees all operations in the central Kentucky field offices. He loves his job, but after a busy day in the office or on the road, you’ll more than likely find him outdoors on his 30-acre farm near Campbellsville, checking on his cow-calf herd.
“It’s therapeutic to be able to come home, change clothes, and get outside—rain or shine—and walk through the cows and calves,” said Miller. “For me, nothing’s more relaxing.”
Miller’s agricultural roots run deep. His farm was once owned by his grandparents, and is where his dad and aunts and uncles grew up. When Aaron was a kid, his dad, grandfather, and uncle all farmed together, raising hogs, beef cattle, and tobacco.
Once Miller got to high school, FFA was a natural fit. He began to learn leadership skills, first as a chapter officer, then as a regional officer, and finally as a state officer.
“Through FFA, I learned a lot about working with people, networking, and public speaking,” he said. “FFA gave me a foundation for a lot of things I still use today.”
Then it was off to the University of Kentucky’s College of Agriculture, where he started out majoring in animal science, with the goal of becoming a veterinarian. However in his sophomore year, he took a course in farm management taught by Dr. Steve Isaacs. Miller liked the course and Isaacs so well, that with Isaacs’ encouragement, he picked up an additional major in agricultural economics.
In his junior year, the college hosted a career day, and one of the visiting firms was Farm Credit Services of Mid-America. Miller’s parents were (and are) long-time members, so he was familiar with Farm Credit, and signed up for an interview. Soon after, Miller was selected for an internship, which turned out to be a great experience.
“About two weeks into it, I decided that this is where I wanted to work when I graduated,” said Miller. “I really enjoyed the internship, and still have my internship project.”
Miller committed to Farm Credit early in his senior year, and following graduation, went to work as a trainee in the Hardinsburg field office. That was followed by stops at offices in Lexington and Richmond. Career progress was steady, culminating in a promotion to Regional Vice President at the start of 2011. Miller, now 31, is quick to give credit where it’s due for his success.
“I’ve been fortunate to have some great mentors along the way—people like Rita Tate, Dick Poe, and Beverly Gifford—who believed in me and have been a tremendous help in getting me started and helping me grow. One of my goals as a leader is to try to do the same for the people working for me now.”
While at Farm Credit, Miller picked up an MBA degree from UK, with the help of Farm Credit’s Educational Assistance Program.
“Farm Credit’s been wonderful to me, and has been a great place to work,” he said. “They’re committed to agriculture, and equally committed to their staff. I really enjoy my customers too. I like to think of my job as ‘financing dreams for people who enjoy agriculture.’ It’s very rewarding when you can do that every day.”
In 2009 Miller was selected as a member of the Kentucky Agricultural Leadership Program (KALP), a rigorous 18-month program which further trains some of the state’s best and brightest young ag leaders to step up to greater leadership roles in promoting Kentucky agriculture. There he was reunited with his old college mentor, Steve Isaacs, a co-director of the program.
Miller says KALP helped him better understand the big picture of his role as an ag lender, and hopes to become active in Kentucky’s Farm Bureau to help promote and defend the future of Kentucky agriculture. He hopes a small part of that includes his own children.
“My wife Melissa grew up on a dairy and tobacco farm and farming’s in our blood,” he said. “We have a daughter, Mattie, 4, and a son, Avery, 3, who each already have their own cows. It’s important to us for our kids to understand agriculture, to learn the values, and feel the pride and ownership that comes with growing up on a farm.”
About Farm Credit Services of Mid-America
Farm Credit Services of Mid-America is an $18 billion financial services cooperative serving over 92,500 farmers, agribusinesses and rural residents in Kentucky, Ohio, Indiana and Tennessee. The association provides loans for all farm and rural living purposes including including real estate, operating loans,equipment loans, and housing loans. FCS also provides an array of financial services, including crop insurance and leases. For more information about Farm Credit, call 1-800-444-FARM or visit them on the web at www.e-farmcredit.com.
