Senior Management

Amie Pala

Chief Executive Officer

Amie Pala was named chief executive officer for Farm Credit Bank of Texas in January 2021.

Previously she served as the bank’s chief financial officer for 10 years, following 15 years as vice president and treasurer. 

Pala serves on the Federal Farm Credit Banks Funding Corporation board of directors and audit committee. She also is vice chair of the Farm Credit System Presidents Planning Committee, and serves on its business practices and finance committees.

Before joining the bank, she worked for American Express and First City National Bank.

Pala holds a degree in finance from the University of Texas and an MBA from the University of Dallas. She is also a certified international cash manager (CERT-ICM) with the Association of Corporate Treasurers.

Isaac E. Bennett

Chief Credit Officer

Isaac E. Bennett was named chief credit officer of Farm Credit Bank of Texas in July 2021. He is responsible for the bank’s credit division, which includes capital markets, association direct lending, risk management and credit operations.

Previously Bennett was vice president and unit manager of the bank’s Capital Markets Group for 16 years. In this position, he led the capital markets staff and oversaw a portfolio of $8 billion in assets.

He has more than 30 years of experience in the Farm Credit System, and joined the bank in 2003 as vice president and capital markets officer. Previously, he was vice president, capital markets, with AgFirst Farm Credit Bank in Columbia, South Carolina, for three years. Earlier, he was vice president of Edisto Farm Credit, ACA — now AgSouth Farm Credit, ACA — in South Carolina.

Bennett is an alumnus of the Graduate School of Banking at Louisiana State University. He holds a master’s degree in agribusiness from South Carolina State University and a bachelor’s degree from the University of Tennessee. In July 2021, he began a three-year term on the University of Tennessee Foundation Board of Directors.

Brandon Blaut

Chief Operating Officer

Brandon Blaut was appointed chief operating officer of Farm Credit Bank of Texas in October 2023. Previously, he was the bank’s chief financial officer for three years.

Blaut has worked in the banking sector for more than 20 years and the Farm Credit System since 2006. Prior to joining Farm Credit Bank of Texas in 2015 as vice president of loan operations, he was chief financial officer and later chief credit officer for Great Plains Ag Credit, now AgTexas Farm Credit Services. He began his career as a commercial lender with Amarillo National Bank.

Blaut received his BBA in finance from West Texas A&M University. He also holds the Chartered Financial Analyst designation.

SCOTT L. ERLICHMAN

CHIEF INFORMATION OFFICER

Scott L. Erlichman oversees the bank’s core technology activities and business systems. This includes computing and connectivity services, information security, IT compliance and disaster recovery planning. He also ensures the bank and its affiliated lending cooperatives have efficient systems for credit delivery and compliance, including FarmView, an integrated suite of technology products for managing the full lending relationship.

Erlichman has worked in the technology field since 1988, including more than 25 years at financial services companies. Before joining the bank in September 2021, he was chief technology officer at Hancock Whitney Bank. Previously, he held management positions at JPMorgan Chase & Co. and Fleet Credit Card Services.

Erlichman holds a bachelor’s degree in computer and information sciences from Stockton State College, now Stockton University. He also is an alumnus of the Graduate School of Banking at Louisiana State University and the Finance for Technology Executives program at the Wharton School of Business.

Brian O’Keane

Chief Financial Officer

Brian O’Keane is responsible for treasury, finance, cash management, accounting and loan operations at the bank.

O’Keane has more than 30 years of experience in the financial services, agribusiness and capital equipment industries, including 11 years in the Farm Credit System. Before joining Farm Credit Bank of Texas in October 2023, he was global chief financial officer at Marex Capital Markets. Previously, he was chief financial officer at AgriBank, and held financial management positions at CNH Capital, the Quaker Oats Company and Exxon Mobil.

He holds a bachelor’s degree in finance from Indiana University and a master’s degree in finance, accounting and international business from Northwestern University.

Thomas Ringler

Executive Vice President, Enterprise Risk

Thomas Ringler was named executive vice president, enterprise risk, for Farm Credit Bank of Texas in January 2023. He is responsible for SOX Compliance, model risk management, business continuity planning, and coordinating SOC 2 activities with the IT compliance team.

He joined the bank in 2017 and most recently was vice president of FarmView relationship management and internal controls compliance.

Before joining the bank, Ringler was with PricewaterhouseCoopers in Texas and Virginia, most recently as a risk assurance director in Austin.

Ringler holds bachelor’s and master’s degrees in accounting with a concentration in information systems from North Carolina State University, and CPA and CISA certifications.

Nisha Rocap

Chief Audit Executive

Nisha Rocap is the bank’s chief audit executive, who oversees the activities of the internal audit department and the credit review function for the Farm Credit Bank of Texas.

In her current position, Rocap is responsible for assessing level of risk in bank activities to ensure sufficient audit coverage, and works closely with the bank’s audit committee. Her department facilitates the Farm Credit Administration’s examination process and works with external auditors. She also serves on the Farm Credit Captive Insurance Board.

Rocap is a Certified Public Accountant in Texas, Certified Information Systems Auditor and Certified Internal Auditor. Prior to joining the bank, she spent 16 years in public accounting. She was most recently a risk assurance director at PricewaterhouseCoopers in Austin. She began her career at Arthur Andersen.

Rocap holds bachelor’s and master’s degrees from the University of Texas at Austin in accounting, with a minor in management information systems.

Nanci Tucker

Chief Administrative Officer and General Counsel

Nanci Tucker is the bank’s general counsel and leads Corporate Affairs. As general counsel, she leads the bank’s legal department, advises the bank on a wide range of legal and business issues and serves as corporate secretary. She oversees government affairs, human resources, corporate events, corporate communications and administrative services. She also serves as a member of the bank’s executive committee, and is chair of the bank’s election committee and secretary of the Tenth District Farm Credit Council.

Tucker joined the bank in 2018 with 25 years of experience managing legal departments for Austin-based banks, financial institutions and technology companies. She helped guide these organizations through business growth, regulatory compliance, complex contract negotiations and the acquisition and sale of technology.

Tucker holds a bachelor’s degree in English from the University of Colorado and a Juris Doctor degree with honors from the University of Houston Law Center.