RICHMOND—Clay Francis of Southampton County on Sept. 1 assumed the position of vice president of membership and field services for Virginia Farm Bureau Federation.

Francis previously worked as an agency manager for Virginia Farm Bureau Mutual Insurance Co. He was hired in 1985 as an agent in Southampton County before being promoted to agency manager in 2000.

“Clay has been a salesperson, and that will be a welcome addition to this position,” said VFBF President Wayne Pryor. “More importantly, Clay brings experience in management and has a proven track record with that, having won many awards during his career at Farm Bureau. He brings a knowledge of how we work on the county level, and it takes all of that to be successful.

As of Nov. 1 — the end of Farm Bureau’s membership year — the organization had an all-time high of 150,828 members and a 93 percent retention rate, which is incredible for a membership organization, Francis said.

He has won more than 20 professional awards during his career with Farm Bureau Insurance, including Employee of the Year in 1999. He was chosen to receive the 2011 Ralph Stokes Award by the VFBMIC sales management team.

That award is the top recognition given annually to an insurance professional who has a high degree of integrity, offers Farm Bureau members excellent service and has earned the respect of his or her peers.

Francis holds a bachelor’s degree in economics from Old Dominion University. The Capron native and his wife, Maryanne, have two adult children, Joshua and Lindsey.