NC Agricultural Finance Authority - Staff Directory
Robert Hosford - Executive Director
Robert Hosford was selected as the Executive Director of the North Carolina Agricultural Finance Authority. In 2019 Hosford assumed the role as State Director, Rural Development/USDA based in Raleigh. During his tenure Rural Development efforts obligated close to $4 Billion into rural North Carolina communities, towns and counties. These expenditures came in the form of single-family housing loans, water and environmental projects, business and industry loans and grants, firehouses, libraries, charter schools and rural hospitals.
He joined the North Carolina Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services in 2010, in the International Marketing Division. He specialized in export of cotton, forestry products, Christmas Trees and meat products.
Currently, he serves as the Director of Intergovernmental and Military Affairs. In this effort he spends a great deal of time working on foreign direct investment and economic development projects for rural North Carolina.
Prior to NCDA&CS, Hosford was the President of pH Solutions, a London based clean water solution.
In 2004, Hosford was appointed by President George W. Bush as the Chief of Staff of the Farm Service Agency/USDA in Washington D.C. In that capacity he oversaw the day to day operations of the 16,000 employee agency. Additionally, he served as the Special Advisor to the Commodity Credit Corporation (CCC). In 2006, he accepted additional responsibilities with The President’s Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ). During this time, he was also asked to serve on the Secretaries Energy Council that was Co-Chaired by Secretary of Agriculture Mike Johanns and Secretary of Energy Samuel Bodman.
In 1998, Hosford joined the Texas and Southwestern Cattle Raisers Association (TSCRA) based in Fort Worth, Texas as the Director of Government Relations and Public Affairs. While with TSCRA he was the government affairs advocate on behalf of the 20,000-member organization focusing his efforts in the 3 state legislatures of Texas, Oklahoma, New Mexico and the 3 Congressional delegations.
During his time in Texas, he did postgraduate studies at Texas A&M University at College Station.
After graduating from Mississippi State University with a degree in Agricultural Journalism, Hosford accepted a position as the Director of Agricultural Policy with the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association in the Washington D.C. office. During that time, he handled all appropriations issues, the 1996 Farm Bill legislation and all conservation policy issues.
Hosford was born and raised on a diversified row crop, forestry and livestock operation in Mississippi.
Robert and his daughter reside in Raleigh, North Carolina.
Susan Marcks - Assistant Director
Susan Marcks has been with NC Agricultural Finance Authority for over 16 years. She has held titles of Administrative Assistant, Accounting Manager and most recently was promoted to Assistant Director. Susan previously worked within the private banking industry before joining the Agency. She was born in rural West Virginia and her family moved to Knightdale, North Carolina when she was 8 years old. Susan is married and has two children, Andrew, 21, and Austin, eternally 21. She and her husband love sports, being active outdoors and traveling.
Larry A. Green - Program Loan Officer
Mr. Green (Larry) grew up on his family’s farm located in Davie County, North Carolina. He attended Davie County High School and graduated with his diploma in 1971. He was accepted to Brigham Young University in Provo, Utah in Fall, 1971 and completed his first year. In 1972, he decided to become a volunteer representative of his faith. He lived and worked in France for 2 years where he learned the culture and became fluent in the French language. Upon returning home Mr. Green again returned to college at Brigham Young University in Provo, Utah where he earned a Bachelor’s Degree in Horticulture in 1978. After graduation he accepted the position of Horticulture Agent for Alamance County, NC, where he worked until 1980. Subsequently, he started a small nursery operation in Iredell County which was later sold. Meanwhile, Mr. Green decided that an advanced degree in Agricultural Economics would be appropriate and strengthen his Horticulture Degree. He returned to Brigham Young University in 1983 where he studied for and earned a Master’s Degree in Agricultural Economics.
After graduation he was employed by Farmer’s Home Administration as Assistant County Supervisor in Midvale, Utah where he remained for 2 years. He subsequently transferred to Harnett County, NC as Assistant County Supervisor. In 1988, he was promoted to County Supervisor for Jackson, Swain and later Haywood counties where he was responsible for loan making and servicing of farm and home loans, as well as supervisory duties for the office. He remained in that position until 1995 when Farmer’s Home Administration was split. He then decided to remain in farm lending and was transferred to the Farm Service Agency as a Farm Loan Officer. He was responsible for farm lending and servicing of a large area of western North Carolina with as many as 13 counties, ranging at times from Murphy, east to Morganton. Due to a significant number of Spanish speaking borrowers and loan applicants, he decided to take a beginning Spanish course at a local community college where he learned basic Spanish speaking skills. In 2009 he was offered and accepted a position in the North Carolina FSA State Office in Raleigh as Farm Loan Servicing Specialist. He was responsible for Farm Loan Servicing for the entire state. In 2011 he retired from FSA.
After retirement, Mr. Green continued to work part time with farmers as a self-employed loan financial specialist assisting producers with record keeping and other administrative matters. He later also became employed part time with NCDA & CS as a Plant Pest Aide in the Plant Protection Division where he worked for approximately 6 years.
Larry is married and has a wonderful wife and family. He has four daughters and presently 8 grandchildren, ages 9 to 2. He and his wife, Debra reside in Mocksville, NC where they recently returned after many years’ absence. He recently joined NC Ag Finance Authority as Farm Loan Officer, and is excited to be back into farm lending, to which he has dedicated his career.
Barbara B. Smith - Program Loan Officer
Barbara Bryant Smith grew up on a heritage family farm in Mitchell County, North Carolina. The farm produced mainly burley tobacco and beef cattle, but also produced market tomatoes for several years. Being a mountain farm in the 1960s the farm was not mechanized until the mid-seventies. Barbara graduated from NC State University with a BS Degree in Animal Science in 1977; she also had a concentration of hours in Agronomy. She began working with Farmers Home Administration in 1977 as an Assistant County Supervisor in Lillington, NC. Barbara maintained this position as she worked in various counties across NC until she was promoted to County Supervisor in Yancey County in 1983. It was during this time that she met and married her husband, John, a dairy farmer, and NC State graduate (Agricultural Engineering) from Catawba County. As County Supervisor she was responsible for overseeing farm loan and rural housing programs, and for supervising clerical staff and Assistant County Supervisors. Barbara gave birth to twin daughters in 1985, a son in 1989, and a baby girl in 1991.
When Farmers Home Administration split in 1995, Barbara chose to continue in agricultural lending and took a position as Farm Loan Manager with Farm Service Agency in Spruce Pine. She supervised a staff of 3-4 loan officers and administrative assistants. Her area of responsibility stretched south from Watauga County to the Georgia/South Carolina lines and as far east as Caldwell County. After the end of the tobacco program, most of the loan activity in this area consisted of livestock production, various produce operations, and Christmas trees. Barbara retired from Farm Service Agency in 2015 with over 39 years of service.
Since retirement she has worked as Financial Officer for the Southeastern District Church of the Brethren. Her husband, John, is also retired and they enjoy operating their small farm and being deeply involved in their church and community. Barbara makes a large garden and cans and freezes the produce. She also loves looking after her flowers and home. However, her greatest responsibility (and joy) is loving and caring for her seven (soon to be eight) beautiful grandchildren.
Barbara is pleased that North Carolina Agricultural Finance Authority has given her the opportunity to once again be involved in ag lending.
H. Rossie Bullock - Program Loan Officer
Rossie Bullock is a native of Chadbourn, NC. He earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Agricultural Economics from N.C. State University. Rossie retired from USDA Rural Development after 30 years of service. While with Rural Development Mr. Bullock held the positions of Assistant County Supervisor, County Supervisor, Business Programs Specialist and Area Director. Mr. Bullock also has seven years of experience in the banking industry and is currently employed with North Carolina Agricultural Finance Authority as a Farm Loan Officer.
Carl Bond - Program Loan Officer
Carl Bond has vast knowledge as an Agricultural Marketing Specialist (Farm Loan Manager) with 31.5 years of experience. Mr. Bond’s domain areas include working with customers that have applied for loans to build homes or wanted to purchase farmland or equipment. He facilitated customers to develop family budgets to qualify for housing loans. He assisted farm customers in developing Farm Business Plans to obtain qualification for loans to purchase real estate, purchase equipment, and operate their farms. He also conducted housing and farm appraisals, as well as equipment appraisals. He made equipment and crop inspections, as well as housing inspections. He provided the skills from training courses that were offered for clients and agribusinesses from the United States Department of Agriculture.
Additionally, he managed loan cases in four counties, (Martin, Pitt, Greene and Wayne Counties) which consisted of two Farm Loan Officers and one Administrative Assistant in different offices. In 1998, he received training as a Civil Rights Investigator for the Civil Rights Department of Farm Service Agency. He served in this position for two years and represented Farm Service Agency in these investigations. Finally, he served as an instructor for Agriculture 1, Horticulture, Forestry, Machine Shop and adult education courses.
JoAnn Rozier - Accounting Manager
JoAnn Rozier provides administrative support to the NCAFA team since 2016. JoAnn is a native of New York and has previously worked in the private sector in New York and North Carolina as an administrative assistant, sales representative and finance manager. She has extensive experience with all administrative tasks and is adept at tailoring her skills to meet the needs of various roles. JoAnn developed a strong sense of community by volunteering on activities committees, local schools and serving as Vice President of her homeowner’s association. JoAnn, her husband and son reside in Knightdale and enjoy spending time camping, relaxing on their boat, and traveling.
Pam Hysong
Pam Hysong was born in Landstuhl Germany. Having been raised in a military family (USAF), she lived in various locations in the mid-west and south during her childhood. She attended college at Louisiana State University, graduating with a degree in Animal Science. While attending LSU, she was member of the livestock judging team attending competitions all over the southeast and mid-west. After graduation, she briefly managed a small livestock farm in Welch, LA before getting hired by USDA’s Farmers Home Administration in Morganton, NC. During her 42-year tenure with USDA, she worked in 19 western North Carolina counties and her assignments included providing staff supervision, administrating a variety of housing and business grant programs as well as multiple lending programs including housing, farm loans, water/sewer infrastructure loans and community facilities.
Away from work, Pam is an avid member of the CrossFit community, and she volunteers with Carolina Boxer Rescue (CBR), providing transporting, financial assistance and fostering all in an effort to “Save the Nubs” which is CBR’s motto.