Welcome from USDA Rural Development Acting State Director W. David Schermerhorn

Photo of New York Acting State Director David Schermerhorn

Welcome to the USDA Rural Development web site for New York. The economic and community development arm of the USDA, Rural Development's mission is to improve economic conditions and the quality of life in rural communities. To achieve this mission, Rural Development administers community, business and housing programs which offer loans, loan guarantees and grants. Within this site, you will find detailed program specifics, eligibility guidelines and contact information for our state and local offices.

We are committed to the future of New York's rural communities.


Biography for W. David Schermerhorn

W. David Schermerhorn, Acting State Director of USDA Rural Development in New York, has over 25 years of progressive project and program management experience. Prior to assuming the Acting State Director role, Mr. Schermerhorn served for nine years as Program Director of Rural Business-Cooperative Services at USDA Rural Development. He was responsible for all aspects of the Agency grant, loan, and loan guarantee programs for the State of New York.As Program Director, he was responsible for an annual program budget in excess of $29 million. Under his direction, the Agency loan and loan guarantee program portfolio has grown to in excess of $283 million. As the Rural Business Program Director, Mr. Schermerhorn coordinated with Rural Development area managers throughout the state as well as with various representatives of the lending and business communities.

Prior to joining USDA Rural Development, Mr. Schermerhorn was Executive Vice President and Chief Lending Officer at Pathfinder Bank, where he was responsible for overseeing all aspects of commercial and consumer lending. He established the Commercial Loan Department, which provided financing opportunities for new and existing business ventures in Upstate New York. He also established the Trust Division, developing required policies and procedures, preparing necessary state and federal applications, and selecting third-party service providers. He served on several Senior Management committees, including the Strategic Planning/Budget Committee, and was chair of the Employee Benefits Committee, as well as chair of the Trust Investment Committee.

In 2010, Mr. Schermerhorn was appointed by New York State Governor David Paterson to serve on the Board of Directors of the Port of Oswego Authority. The Port of Oswego is the first U.S. deep water port on the Great Lakes from the St. Lawrence Seaway. Mr. Schermerhorn serves on the Audit Committee, as well as the Governance Committee. The Port operations impact over 500 direct and indirect jobs in the region, and have an annual economic impact of $43 Million in the Upstate NY Region.

Since 2006, Mr. Schermerhorn has served on the Commercial Loan Advisory Board for the City of Oswego Office of Community Development. Previously, he served for several years on the Central New York Regional Loan Committee for the New York Business Development Corporation.  As a member of the Central New York Commercial Loan Committee, he reviewed financing requests and made credit decisions for job creation and retention projects throughout Central New York.

Mr. Schermerhorn received an MBA with honors from the Charles Dolan School of Business at Fairfield University in Fairfield, Connecticut. He received a Bachelor's degree in Economics with honors from the State University of New York at Oswego. He is a graduate of the National School of Banking at Fairfield University, and the National Commercial Lending School at the University of Oklahoma. In addition, he has attended numerous banking industry programs and seminars.