Farm Credit Bank of Texas Appoints New General Counsel

AUSTIN, Texas – Farm Credit Bank of Texas, a cooperatively owned wholesale funding bank, has named Carolyn Owen senior vice president of corporate affairs, general counsel and corporate secretary, effective April 6. Previously, Owen was vice president and deputy general counsel of the $15.4-billion Austin-based bank.

She succeeds Kyle Pankonien, who has announced his retirement after a 35-year legal career with the Farm Credit System.

“Farm Credit Bank is extremely grateful for Kyle’s wise counsel and leadership over the years, and we welcome Carolyn to the role of general counsel. We are fortunate to have had such a deep bench of legal experience and knowledge of the Farm Credit System for so many years,” said Larry Doyle, FCBT chief executive officer.

A 30-year Farm Credit veteran, Owen joined the legal department of the Federal Intermediate Credit Bank of Texas in 1983. She has held various positions within the bank’s legal department, including attorney, senior attorney, associate general counsel and assistant general counsel. At the national level, Owen has served on the Farm Credit System Workgroup on Mission-Related Investments. She is currently a member of the System’s Capital Workgroup, which is providing input to the Farm Credit Administration in the development of new capital adequacy regulations based on the Basel III Accord.

Owen graduated from the University of New Mexico and received her Doctor of Jurisprudence from the University of Texas. She is a member of the State Bar of Texas.

Farm Credit Bank of Texas provides funds and services to rural lending institutions in five states. The 96-year-old bank is part of the nationwide Farm Credit System, the oldest and largest source of rural financing in the United States.