Employee Spotlight: Jessica Baker

Job Title: Branch Manager

Location: Leesburg Branch

Tenure: 17 years

Briefly describe your involvement in 4-H. I grew up showing beef cattle with my brother and sister in the Loudoun County 4-H Beef club. We showed Angus and X-bred steers & Hereford heifers. I started in the program when I was 12 and showed until I outgrew. Now, I assist with the auction, handling a few administrative tasks with the committee.

Briefly describe your involvement in agriculture. I grew up on a farm in Lovettsville, Va. Our family raised corn & soybeans and we had a relatively small herd of cattle. We also had chickens and ducks, and raised a large garden. We canned vegetables in the summer for year-round eating. Being from Loudoun, it's really neat to be able to serve the community where I was raised even though the agriculture industry has changed so much.

Tell us about your family. I'm so blessed to be a wife and a mother. My husband's name is Ryan and we have been married for 11 years. He owns his business: Suit & Tie Entertainment, where he provides DJ services and entertainment for weddings and corporate events. Our two children are Marlee (11) & Max (7). Marlee loves to ride horses, and played softball this past spring and fall. Max is an all-around athlete playing baseball, flag football and wants to try soccer this spring. Max is also part-ninja, just two belts away from earning his black belt in Tae Kwon Do.

Tell us about your pets. Our family has two dogs: Chance (12) is a white Pit Bull mix who looks like Chance from the movie Homeward Bound, and Hudson (1) is a Golden Retriever. We also have two cats that found us: Oshie (named after my favorite hockey player) & Autumn (she is orange and landed on our porch Thanksgiving of 2023).

What is your favorite decade and why? The 90s were the best of everything! No cell phones kept people connected more intentionally, and the internet was slow. I still remember a few select home phone numbers and the iconic sound of dial up. The music was great and the cartoons were awesome! It has been wild to witness the evolution of technology over a relatively short window of time.

What is your favorite movie? My favorite movie is National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation. Some of my favorite memories from childhood were at Christmas time – going out as a family to a farm to select the annual Christmas tree that we would decorate together. The movie is funny, but a good reminder of what is special at Christmas time.

What is your favorite season? My favorite season is fall. I like the cooler temperatures at night, sleeping with the windows open and being able to enjoy the outdoors during the day when it's not blazing hot. We are a pretty active family and try to take advantage of being outside as much as possible.

Tell us about your hobbies. I like to bake! I am usually the designated cake maker for birthdays in our family and friend circle. I like that following a recipe usually yields good results, and appreciate the preciseness of baking. I recently took up baking sourdough and have enjoyed that as well. It has been more forgiving then I had originally thought, and a process I am continuing to learn more about.

What is your favorite place you've ever visited? My husband is from Western New York and our family travels there in the summer. We spend time at one of the lakes and enjoy the cooler nighttime temperatures. It's so beautiful, and tucked in the mountains of the Allegheny. You can't keep the kids out of the water – they tube, water ski, knee board, surf and play all day.

What was your first job? My first job was working as a groom at the Equine Medical Center in Leesburg. I worked weekends and after school while I was in high school. I made sure the stalls were cleaned, and turned over- ready for the next patient, got the horses ready to go home once recovered, and took care of feedings. I was able to witness a few really neat surgeries and meet great people. The veterinarians and technicians were always happy to educate and answer questions, and because at that time in my life I wanted to be a large animal vet I tried to soak up as much as possible from them.

What is your favorite aspect of your job? We get to work with some amazing people – both our borrowers, of course, but also our own employees. The heart of this organization is to serve our borrowers and support agriculture. To be a person with a passion for agriculture and helping people, Farm Credit is a perfect fit for me.

What would you sing at Karaoke night? I would sing “Unstoppable” by Sia OR the Sunday Night Football theme song by Carrie Underwood.

What is one random fact you'd like to share? Come ride with me on Peloton!