ColoradoBiz CEO of the Year 2015 finalist: Russ Tomky

It lends exclusively to agriculture-related businesses

Born from an act of Congress in 1916, the 68-employee Farm Credit of Southern Colorado will hit $1 billion in assets by the end of 2015. It lends exclusively to agriculture-related businesses, from six offices and a new headquarters in Colorado Springs.

Since Tomky joined in the early 1980s, the borrower-owned cooperative has paid a dividend for 24 straight years. “We’ve maintained good profitability,” he says. “We’ve returned $16 million in five years.

“Our motto has always been, ‘We’re here in the good times, in the bad.’” Tomky adds: “The farmers and ranchers face a tremendous amount of uncertainty in their lives and their businesses. One place where they shouldn’t have to face uncertainty is their financing.”