AgFirst welcomes Runkle, Calhoun to executive team

COLUMBIA, SC – AgFirst welcomed two new executives Oct. 1. Brian Runkle was named Chief Operating Officer, and Pat Calhoun was appointed to the Chief Credit Officer role. Both will serve on the bank’s Executive Committee. 

Brian Runkle fills a newly created role overseeing day-to-day bank operations. Both the Chief Financial Officer and Chief Information Officer will sit within his organization, and he will be responsible for Information Security, Project Management and Product Strategy. Runkle most recently served as Executive Vice President of Bank Operations at Webster Bank, a $70 billion commercial bank in the Northeastern United States, where he worked for eight years. He previously spent 17 years in various roles at GE Capital, leaving in 2016 as Managing Director of Risk. 

Pat Calhoun in his new role oversees Credit Administration, Asset Validation, Correspondent Lending, Capital Markets, and Portfolio Risk and Analytics for the bank. Calhoun joined Farm Credit in 1988 and worked for Farm Credit Associations in South Carolina and Georgia for 35 years. He retired in 2023 as CEO of AgSouth Farm Credit. 

“Brian and Pat bring unique strengths and perspectives to AgFirst’s leadership team that will help the bank navigate rapidly evolving technology and lending landscapes. We are fortunate to have them and look forward to the skills and expertise they will bring to their roles,” said AgFirst President and CEO Tim Amerson.