PAC Progress

PAC Progress:

In the Political Action Committee (PAC) progress, disbursements are the main event. Voluntary contributions are gathered by communicating the strategy and then receiving support from individuals that agree. But the talk and promises of the strategy all come down to action when the disbursements are set and executed.

At GreenStone, the legislative outreach strategy is to build the network of elected officials that support and take time to understand our rural communities and agriculture, and the PACs are a component of it. The begins with the budget of who will receive support and at what amount, and moves to the delivery method. This allows for continual evaluation and alignment by GreenStone’s Board of Directors and focuses on both record of support, and education and awareness. The balance of introductory and continued financial support is delicate, and is critical in maintaining flexibility as elected officials and political priorities change in government. Some PACs disburse funds to influence an election; GreenStone focuses on candidates that are sitting elected officials seeking re-election. This approach is rooted in a desire to build and favor long-term relationships rather than shifts in political winds. To accomplish this, disbursements are made on a bipartisan basis, concentrated on those individuals in leadership positions or who serve on banking, financial services, or agriculture committees. In addition, financial support is provided to elected officials who have direct experience or have taken a special interest in agriculture or rural community priorities identified by GreenStone. The amount disbursed is first and foremost determined by how much money is raised. Typically most, but not all, of the money raised is budgeted for disbursement. Some reserves are held for unforeseen requests or events, but are subject to approval. Disbursements are not all uniform as respect is paid to leadership positions, which party is in power, and the level of engagement by the elected official. Finally, the delivery method of financial support is determined. The preference is to deliver checks in small meetings without other organizations present to allow for focused conversation and expressions of support. Fundraisers are another way to deliver checks and is preferred when it is an agriculture specific fundraiser or a larger profile event for leadership that will be widely attended by other elected officials. This allows for one contribution, but interaction and recognition with a wide group of elected officials. PAC disbursements are an important strategic component of legislative outreach and are always given considerable attention. Your GreenStone leadership team and Board of Directors recognize the trust extended by contributors to steward the financial resources and take the responsibility seriously. Through it all, GreenStone is committed to being an advocate for the growth and prosperity of your rural community and agriculture, and views the PAC as one tool to help accomplish this amid constant political change. ■

• MI GreenStone PAC - $29,212.25, 439 contributors • WI Farm Credit PAC - $1,925, 38 contributors

Country Living Customer Feature

When Mac Ward’s great grandfather Wayne Dack returned from World War II he bought a 100-acre farm in Parma, Michigan with a farmhouse and settled in. With his wife, Rosemary, they raised a son and a daughter there. Once the children moved out, the farmhouse was demolished and replaced with a smaller home for the two of them to live out the rest of their lives.

It’s always been the family’s desire to keep the farmstead in the family. It was passed onto Mac’s grandparents and his grandpa’s sister. For a time, Mac and his wife Ashley rented the small house built in the 1970s. However, they soon grew out of the 1,000-square-foot, two-bedroom, one bath home after starting a family. Mac and Ashley moved out and into a home about seven miles away. The house sat vacant for a number of years until recent discussions started with his grandparents about buying the place and a portion of the acreage. But how could the Wards make it work for their now family of four that includes Addy, 7, and River, 4. “I was there (the small house) a lot growing up and I really enjoyed spending my summers there and time with my grandparents,” Mac recalls. “Ashley fell in love with it when we lived there. So, I have really always wanted to end up back there.”

A plan was crafted to add onto the small house, a price was agreed upon and motion was underway... to some degree. Mac says they weren’t really sure how to move the sale forward doing it on their own without a real estate agent. “I called our mortgage company on the house we were in, as well as other mortgage companies,” Mac says. “They understood what we wanted to do but didn’t have a great avenue for us to do it. There was no roadmap for us to get from A to B, and they didn’t want to offer a new construction mortgage with the existing house.” A couple of close friends of the Wards advised them to call GreenStone. “I called Stacy (Stinson) at GreenStone in Charlotte, because that’s the town I work in, and started talking with her about our plan. She was like, this is what we need to do and here’s step 1-2-3-4. She knew exactly what we wanted to do, was right on target and super helpful.” Stacy Stinson, a financial services officer with GreenStone, says the Wards were upfront on what they wanted, and and was a great fit with some of GreenStone’s specialty construction loans. “It’s a remodel, but because so many changes were being made to the original home, it was viewed as a construction project,”she says. “We collected all the documents – such as sworn statements, building specs and blueprints – and then ordered an “as-will-be” appraisal, which allowed us to know how the final project would be valued.” Mac says they had the money to secure

➡ Top of page: The Ward’s newly built country home.

➡ Above: A newly built kitchen with enough room to enjoy with friends and family.

View a highlight real video at: www.greenstonefcs.com/CLSpring21