Jaylen Wallace Named Community Champion

Jaylen Wallace Named Texas Farm Credit’s 2025 Tommy Dean Shearrer Community Champion

Texas Farm Credit is proud to announce Jaylen Wallace as the recipient of the 2025 Tommy Dean Shearrer Community Champion Award. The annual honor recognizes a Texas Farm Credit employee whose volunteerism and service exemplify a deep passion for strengthening the communities they serve. The award includes a $2,500 donation to a charity of the recipient’s choice, which Wallace will designate at a later date.

The Community Champion Award follows the example set by the late Tommy Dean Shearrer – a long-time Texas Farm Credit customer, former board member, and dedicated community servant – whose life embodied the belief that strong communities thrive when people invest their time, talent, and heart.

A Heart for Community and Agriculture

Wallace’s commitment to his community is evident in everything he does. He is the founder and chairman of the Fannin Agricultural Association, where he launched Steaks on Main, a now-annual tradition held on the Bonham square. The event brings the community together for a steak cook-off, live music, and fellowship – all while raising funds that are reinvested directly into local FFA chapters and 4-H clubs across Fannin County.

Beyond county-wide initiatives, Wallace is deeply involved in his hometown of Gober. From Fall Festivals and Ice Cream Socials to barbecue fundraisers and domino tournaments, he consistently finds ways to unite neighbors and give back to the place he calls home. His dedication extends to serving on multiple boards and civic groups, where he is widely respected as a leader among peers, colleagues, and community members alike.

A Leader Among His Peers

Wallace was selected for this honor based on nominations submitted by fellow employees who recognized his unwavering commitment to service and community leadership. The award is part of Texas Farm Credit’s Passion Forward initiative, which dedicates 1-2% of the cooperative’s annual earnings to charitable and community causes across its territory.

In response to receiving the award, Wallace shared his gratitude:

“First of all, thank you to each and every person that has reached out congratulating me on this recognition. There have been so many that have emailed, messaged, or called.

I believe we are only as good as the people that we surround ourselves with, and I can’t think of surrounding myself with better people than all of you. I feel extremely blessed and fortunate to work with the best people that I know here at Texas Farm Credit. The emphasis on Faith, Family, Members, and Mission is lived here every single day.”

Texas Farm Credit congratulates Jaylen Wallace and thanks him for the meaningful impact he continues to make in his community and beyond.

Award Commemorates Late Director Tommy Dean Shearrer

The Tommy Dean Shearrer Community Champion Award was created in 2018 in remembrance of Texas Farm Credit’s former customer and board member, who was killed while assisting a stranded motorist in 2012. The Atascosa County farmer and rancher was known for his strong sense of civic duty and belief in community involvement. He often said, “We need to support the community where we live. Our community provides for us, and we should be involved in our community.”

Shearrer joined FFA in high school and later served as FFA state vice president in 1975. He was active in the Pleasanton Chamber of Commerce and the Pleasanton Cowboy Homecoming Association, served as president of the local, state, and national Weather Modification Association, held the role of county commissioner, and was an elder at his church.