March 11, 2019

Vance Promoted to General Counsel, Secretary and Chief Legal Officer at COUNTRY Financial, Illinois Farm Bureau

Former deputy general counsel to oversee all of Office of General Counsel

BLOOMINGTON, Ill. – Jennifer Vance, of Bloomington, was recently promoted to general counsel, secretary and chief legal officer for COUNTRY Financial®, Illinois Farm Bureau and other affiliated companies.  Vance replaces Jim Jacobs, who became the chief executive officer for COUNTRY Financial on Feb. 1, 2019.

“We have so many talented attorneys working for the family of companies, and I am truly humbled to have been selected from among such an amazing group,” Vance said.  “I am also honored to lead such a dedicated and hard-working group in the Office of General Counsel (OGC), and I am so proud of the work they do every day to protect our companies.”

In her new role, Vance will serve on COUNTRY Financial’s Leadership Council, oversee OGC, advise the board of directors and executive management and oversee all related legal matters for the organization.

“Jennifer has the ability to grasp very complex issues and move fluently between the levels of a matter, from the strategic down to the minor details,” said Jacobs, who served as general counsel from 2008 to 2018.  “Her intellect is matched by her high emotional quotient (EQ) – she is always positive and constructive. We are very fortunate to have her as our general counsel.”

Vance joined OGC as an attorney in 2005 and later served as a general attorney and assistant general counsel.  Since 2013, she has served as deputy general counsel and assistant secretary.

Prior to joining OGC, Vance worked as an associate litigation attorney for Jenner & Block LLP in Chicago from 2001 to 2005.

She earned a juris doctor and bachelor’s degree from the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign.  She is a member of the state bar of Illinois.

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