Governance
As a customer-owned financial cooperative, CoBank is governed by a board of directors drawn from the rural industries we serve.
You can find director election information lower down on this page.
Board of directors
Brandon J. Wittman
Chair
Northwest Region
Billings, Montana
Matthew W. Beaton
First Vice Chair
East Region
East Sandwich, Massachusetts
Michael W. Marley
Second Vice Chair
Mid-Plains Region
Roswell, New Mexico
Duane R. Anderson
Director
Mid-Plains Region
Seneca, Kansas
Michael S. Brown
Director
Outside Director
San Diego, California
Russell G. Brown
Director
East Region
Warsaw, Virginia
William M. Farrow, III
Director
Outside Director
Evanston, Illinois
John S. Forlines
Director
Appointed Director
Bluffton, South Carolina
Scott R. Hendrix
Director
South Region
Tupelo, Mississippi
Jason T. Lay
Director
Central Region
Bloomington, Illinois
Jon E. Marthedal
Director
West Region
Fresno, California
Robert (Mac) N. McLennan
Director
Central Region
Grand Forks, North Dakota
Gary A. Miller
Director
South Region
Douglasville, Georgia
Catherine Moyer
Director
Appointed Director
Ulysses, Kansas
Nathan D. Riggers
Director
Northwest Region
Nezperce, Idaho
Kevin A. Still
Director
Central Region
Carmel, Indiana
Edgar A. Terry
Director
West Region
Ventura, California
Sureena S. Bains Thiara
Director
West Region
Yuba City, California
Board structure
CoBank’s board uses a committee system to assist in fulfilling its oversight responsibilities. The board has established five standing committees: Executive, Compensation and Human Resources, Audit, Risk and Governance. The board reviews each committee charter annually.
To help ensure that the bank continues to attract a highly qualified and diverse board, CoBank’s board also has independent nominating committee charged with identifying qualified candidates for board membership and reviewing director nominations. No current board member may serve as a member on the nominating committee.
Executive committee
- Brandon J. Wittman (Chair)
- Matthew W. Beaton
- Michael W. Marley
Audit committee
- Michael S. Brown (Chair)
- Duane R. Anderson
- John S. Forlines
- Michael W. Marley
- Gary A. Miller
Compensation and Human Resources committee
- Catherine Moyer (Chair)
- Russell G. Brown
- Robert N. McLennan
- Kevin A. Still
Governance committee
- Jon E. Marthedal (Chair)
- William M. Farrow, III
- Jason T. Lay
- Brandon J. Wittman
Risk committee
- Edgar A. Terry (Chair)
- Matthew W. Beaton
- Scott R. Hendrix
- Nathan D. Riggers
- Sureena S. Bains Thiara
Governance news
CoBank announces results of governance bylaw amendment vote
CoBank board approves special all-cash patronage distribution of $79 million for 2025
CoBank shareholders approve capitalization bylaws amendment and preferred stock revolver
CoBank board approves downsizing and other governance changes
CoBank announces 2025 board election results
CoBank announces director resignation
CoBank board approves special all-cash patronage distribution of $110 million for 2024
CoBank announces 2024 board election results
CoBank board approves special all-cash patronage distribution of $106 million for 2023
CoBank announces 2023 board election results
CoBank board approves special all-cash patronage distribution of $150 million for 2022
CoBank announces 2022 board election results
CoBank reduces capitalization requirements for its customer-owners
CoBank announces director resignation
CoBank stockholders approve capitalization bylaw amendments lowering target equity ranges for customer-owners
Board elections in 2026
Ballots and the 2026 CoBank Board Election Information brochure were mailed to all voting stockholders in the Northwest region on July 15.
Ballots are due by September 15, 2026.
The 2026 CoBank Board Election Information – Non-Voting Stockholders brochure was also mailed to voting stockholders in the Central, East, Mid Plains, South and West regions and to all non-voting stockholders of the bank for informational purposes only. The 2026 CoBank Board Election Information brochure also includes the annual meeting information statement (AMIS).