Shelby Smith is an Associate for Rutledge Investment Company.

He grew up in Memphis and graduated from Memphis University School in 2009.  Shelby then graduated from Mississippi State University in 2013 with a finance degree.  He returned to Memphis to accept a job as an analyst for First Tennessee Bank in their commercial lending division.  In 2015, he was hired to be the lending and brokerage associate for Rutledge Investment Company.  Shelby is active in all phases of the farm real estate business primarily focusing on loan origination, underwriting, and real estate brokerage.  He is a licensed real estate broker in Tennessee, Mississippi, and Arkansas.

Interests

Shelby’s interests include hunting, fishing, dog training, and cooking.  Shelby and his wife, Chelsi, got married in April 2015.

Rebecca Phillips is Chief Appraiser at Rutledge Investment Company and is a State Certified General Appraiser in Tennessee, Arkansas, Mississippi, Louisiana, and Missouri.

Career

Rebecca began her professional career following her graduation from the University of Memphis in 2005, when she joined Rutledge Investment Company as an appraisal trainee under Jim Rutledge, MAI. Through hands-on experience and professional training, she earned her State Certified General Appraiser licenses in 2009. Today, she continues to advance her professional credentials and is actively pursuing the Accredited Rural Appraiser (ARA) designation from the American Society of Farm Managers and Rural Appraisers, reflecting her commitment to excellence in agricultural appraisal.

As Chief Appraiser, Rebecca strives to deliver accurate, dependable valuations for a wide range of agricultural properties. Her work supports lenders, landowners, and investors by providing sound, data-driven insights essential to informed decision-making.

A native of Memphis, Rebecca has personal ties to agriculture through her family’s Arkansas cotton farming roots.

Gwin Smith is President, Owner, and Co-Founder of Rutledge Investment Company. He grew up working in a farm family in Cleveland, Mississippi in the heart of the Mississippi Delta.

Business Career

Since graduating from Mississippi State University in 1985 with a Master’s Degree in Agricultural Economics and an undergraduate degree in Business Administration, he has lived in Memphis and worked in the agricultural real estate business. Starting out as a real estate appraiser in 1985, he and Jim Rutledge cofounded Rutledge Investment Company in 1989 as a regional agricultural mortgage banking firm that also originates and services loans throughout the Mid-South.

Gwin is active in all phases of the farm real estate business. His primary focus is loan origination and real estate brokerage. As a licensed real estate agent and has had extensive education in real estate and real estate appraisal. He has farming interests in Bolivar, Tunica and Yalobusha Counties, Mississippi and Cross and Crittenden County, Arkansas.

Interests

With his wife Crissy and their three children, the family enjoys hunting, fishing, and the outdoors. Crissy is a residential real estate agent and their family leads an active life in Memphis.