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Dennis Bigness has an infinite amount of wisdom to offer AgWest employees and customers, as anyone who has had the opportunity to work with him can attest. But when asked about all the knowledge and experience he has gained from his 38 years with Farm Credit, Dennis, who retired from AgWest this past March, keeps it simple. The ultimate keys to success, he says, are listening, staying humble and being teachable. He is a firm believer that the questions you ask can be more valuable than the wisdom you try to impart on others, and that continued learning and improvement are pillars of the AgWest culture – right where they should be.

Meet Dennis

Dennis grew up on a small family farm north of Spokane, Washington. A first-generation college student, he graduated from Washington State University with a bachelor’s degree in Agricultural Economics and a minor in Animal Sciences. Dennis began his career with Farm Credit fresh out of college in Colfax, Washington, first as a trainee and then Loan Officer, before relocating to the Moses Lake, Washington branch, where he served as a Loan Officer and Credit Officer. His final move was to Pasco, Washington, where he remained for the duration of his career. Here, Dennis moved from Senior Credit Officer to Branch Manager, and saw the office grow from six employees to the more than 50 employees that it is today.

Thirst for knowledge

It was during the move from Colfax to Pasco that Dennis discovered the intensity and diversity of irrigated agriculture. It was also when he began to see long-term career potential, both within the industry and with AgWest. He identifies learning as one of his core strengths, and he wanted to be in an area of agriculture that would allow for continuous growth and evolution without stagnation.

This desire to learn and improve has served Dennis well throughout his career. He noted that one of his favorite questions to ask himself before entering a customer meeting is, “What value can you bring to the table when you’re the dumbest person in the room?” This was not to diminish his own knowledge and expertise, but rather to acknowledge that most of the customers he worked with were experts in their field. Instead of trying to teach them something about an area of the industry they lived and breathed every day, he looked for ways to add value to their work, explaining, “You’re working with people that are leaders in their field and they know way more than you do. Be humble and learn from them.” Dennis accomplished this by offering industry insights and a broader perspective derived from working with a diverse customer portfolio. Internally, Dennis imparted this experience to fellow employees through his work as a subject matter expert for the Business Management Center (BMC) and several other curriculums.

Spreading the wealth

Looking beyond AgWest, Dennis contributes to furthering education in the industry through his tenured involvement with the Washington Apple Education Foundation (WAEF). WAEF awards over $1 million in scholarships to more than 300 deserving students each year, many of whom are first-generation college students themselves. Dennis has seen firsthand the lifechanging impact this type of award can have, not only on the students, but also their siblings, their communities, and future generations to come.

Words of wisdom

When asked for his advice to younger employees or those at different stages of their careers, Dennis had no shortage of ideas: “Continue to challenge yourself. Get over your fear of being embarrassed. Be humble and teachable. Embrace honesty and transparency. Admit your limitations and weaknesses.” No matter the advice, the theme was the same: if you open yourself up to continuously learn and grow, you put your customers, yourself and AgWest in the best possible position to succeed.

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