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Eric Howard
Senior Policy Analyst, former examiner, and former EEO Director
McLean, Virginia

“FCA has been a good career choice for me. I’ve led task forces, done EEO [equal employment opportunity], trained others on EEO and policy and regulatory issues, recruited staff, developed the Agency’s human capital plan, and served on councils outside of FCA on civil rights matters. I’ve gotten a lot of opportunities here.

“I started my career with FCA as an associate examiner in the Oklahoma City office. I was recruited on the Oklahoma State University campus just before I graduated with a degree in finance and marketing.

“It was a time of great change for the Agency because it had just gained new regulatory and enforcement authority in the Farm Credit Amendments Act of 1985. During the 1980s, farmers and Farm Credit System banks and associations were suffering catastrophic losses. A lot of FCS institutions were merging, and the new Act required them to be examined at least yearly.

“As an examiner, I learned communication skills and how to work with a team. My training heightened my ability to assess risk, problems, and loan quality; to exercise good judgment; and, most important, to substantiate my findings. These are all important skills that I have carried with me into my other jobs with FCA.

“Five years into my career as an examiner, I had the opportunity to join FCA’s rotational program, in which employees could work in other offices for three months. So I came to the McLean office to what was then the Policy and Risk Analysis Division of the Office of Examination. I primarily worked on corporate actions [mergers and joint management agreements] during my rotational assignment. A full-time position as a policy analyst opened up in the Regulatory Development Division, and I decided to apply. I’ve been in McLean ever since.

“In both the Oklahoma City and McLean offices, I served as a volunteer EEO counselor and really enjoyed the work. So I decided to go to graduate school at the University of Maryland to get a master’s degree in management with an emphasis in human resources. At the same time, I was FCA’s half-time EEO Director, half-time policy analyst. In 2001, the EEO Director position was made full time. I served in that capacity until 2006.

“I am now a senior policy analyst in the Office of Regulatory Policy, where I develop regulatory and policy statements for FCS institutions and the FCA Board. My changing career is not at all unusual for FCA employees. Many senior officials here started as examiners and have gone on to work in other roles. My career path and theirs show that there are many opportunities to develop your career at FCA.”

• Patrick Fairchild, career intern examiner, level 1, Bloomington
• Jennifer Nelson, career intern examiner, level 1, Dallas
• Benjamin McMahan, associate examiner, level 3, Denver
• Kevin McAdoo, associate examiner, level 3, McLean
• Sarah Kreger, certified IT specialist, McLean
• Michael Anderson, program manager, IT/Operations Examination, Denver
• Robert Coleman, Director, Office of Secondary Market Oversight, McLean
• Eric Howard, senior policy analyst, Office of Regulatory Policy, McLean