Newark, Del. – Produce Marketing Association (PMA) Foundation for Industry Talent is celebrating its 10th anniversary this year by refreshing itself for the next 10 years, including a new name, logo and an even stronger commitment to the industry’s greatest asset – its people.
PMA’s strategic focus on talent began in 2004, when a fledgling program to recruit top college students to careers in the industry was held in conjunction with PMA’s Fresh Summit Conference and Expo. PMA Foundation was founded shortly thereafter to attract, develop and retain talent for the global produce and floral industry. Since then, PMA Foundation has significantly expanded its student attraction programs; eight Career Pathways programs are planned for 2016. Its leadership development programs help professionals – including women, young and mid-level professionals, and senior executives – currently working in the industry to advance the skills they need to succeed in their careers.
Introducing the Center for Growing Talent by PMA
PMA Foundation’s Board of Directors and staff began preparing for the group’s 10th anniversary by engaging in deep-dive strategic planning. That led to rebranding PMA Foundation as the Center for Growing Talent by PMA. With the new brand identity comes a new logo, as well.
“We are evolving into the Center for Growing Talent by PMA to better communicate to our industry what we can do for them,” Dick Spezzano, Center for Growing Talent by PMA’s board chairman and president of Spezzano Consulting Service, Inc. “The new name also emphasizes that the strong relationship with PMA continues.”
The Leap Day timing of the announcement is deliberate, he noted. “We specifically picked Feb. 29 to make this announcement, because Leap Day is the perfect time to leap forward,” said Spezzano.
“We celebrate our 10th anniversary this year, and that milestone demanded introspection to ensure we’re best positioned for now, the next 10 years and beyond,” said Leonard Batti, chair-elect of Center for Growing Talent by PMA and president of Taylor Farms, Florida, Inc. “As a result, we’re stepping up our programming so that we can best serve our industry into the future. We also hope that the industry will better understand why we need their financial support.”
Strategic planning led the Center for Growing Talent by PMA to set an “invest-to-grow agenda” for its programs and the people who deliver them.
“Simply put, that means we are pushing the organization to a new level to meet our industry’s ever-growing demands for talent, and to respond to competitive forces that are threatening our industry’s ability to retain our essential people,” said Jim Leimkuhler, the organization’s immediate past chair and Progressive Produce president. “We listened carefully, and are leaning into our industry’s most important priorities – for today and tomorrow.”
Specifically, the Center for Growing Talent by PMA:
- is scaling up its Attract strategy, to increase its reach to more universities and more students;
- is calibrating its Develop strategy, so its leadership programs best meet the mission and are sustainable; and
- will position itself to help companies understand what it takes to keep and advance the right people by defining its Retain strategy
“I am thrilled that the Pack Family Career Pathways program, which was the inaugural program for the Center for Growing Talent by PMA, remains the centerpiece of the student attraction programs,” said Jay Pack. Pack is a long-time contributor whose Pack Family Foundation financially supports the original student attraction program held at Fresh Summit each year. “It is hugely rewarding to see the investment we made spark a decade of growth, and immensely gratifying to see the quantity of successful careers launched by the Pack program.”
“In fact, in just over 10 years, we have reached nearly 800 students, 65 percent of whom have come to work in our industry,” said Margi Prueitt, Center for Growing Talent by PMA executive director.
The Center for Growing Talent by PMA can now be found at:
- online: www.GrowingTalentbypma.org
Take the 10 for Talent Challenge
“On the occasion of this group’s 10th anniversary, we are inviting industry members to demonstrate their energy and commitment to talent, both for our industry and for their companies,” said Cathy Burns, PMA president. “Our ‘10 for Talent’ challenge is a fun and social-media-oriented fundraising effort that calls on 10,000 industry members to give $10 each to the Center for Growing Talent by PMA, to fund and accelerate our important work.”
To participate, contribute $10 online at www.GrowingTalentbypma.org/give10 or text 10forTalent to 41444. Then post news that you’ve taken the challenge, along with a picture, to your social channels. Wear orange, Center for Growing Talent by PMA’s official color. Share on Facebook and LinkedIn; submit photos via www.GrowingTalentbypma.org/10-for-talent for a chance to win a free registration to one of our programs. Tweet using the hashtag #10forTalent. Finally, sign up to be a fundraiser and invite 10 colleagues to accept the challenge, too.
“We are incredibly proud of how far we’ve come in only 10 years, but we aren’t the kind of people to celebrate our anniversary by just sitting back and eating cake,” said Margi Prueitt, Center for Growing Talent by PMA executive director. “We’re refreshing our brand, clarifying our messaging, and are ready to meet our industry’s growing talent needs for the next 10 years and beyond.”
“If you aren’t familiar with what Center for Growing Talent by PMA can do for you or for your business, here’s your invitation to learn more,” said Bryan Silbermann, PMA CEO. “We can help your business not only survive, but thrive, in our industry’s increasingly complex future.”
Upcoming Center for Growing Talent by PMA programs
Center for Growing Talent by PMA has a full schedule planned for 2016 to help attract, develop and retain talent for the global fresh produce and floral industry, including:
- Emerging Leaders Program for the rising stars in our industry, March 6-10 (sold out)
- Women’s Fresh Perspectives Conference, April 17-19 (register early, this event historically sells out)
- Executive Leadership Symposium, for top 3-4 strategic executives, May 11-13 (new date)
- High Performance Management Conference for individuals in mid-level positions, Sept. 19-22
- Webinars throughout the year for young professionals, on topics including change management, marketing and mentoring
- Networking events including receptions for women and young professionals
- Eight Career Pathways planned in conjunction with major industry events including PMA’s Fresh Summit, Oct. 12-16
- Joe Stubbs Scholarship and Tip Murphy Scholarship for Leadership Excellence
- Fundraising activities including two 5K Race for Talent events and the Joe Nucci Memorial Golf Tournament
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About the Center for Growing Talent by PMA
Center for Growing Talent by PMA was created by the produce and floral industry to grow the people across our industry. We help attract, develop and retain the talent needed to feed our industry’s growth, including educational programming and networking events. We offer a variety of industry-specific solutions across the career continuum, for university students, young professionals and women, emerging leaders, mid-level individuals and senior executives. We were created December 2005 as the PMA Education Foundation and later became PMA Foundation for Industry Talent; now we are evolving into Center for Growing Talent by PMA. For more information, visit GrowingTalentbyPMA.org.
About Produce Marketing Association (PMA)
Produce Marketing Association is the leading trade association representing companies from every segment of the global produce and floral supply chain. PMA helps members grow by providing connections that expand business opportunities and increase sales and consumption. For more information, visit www.pma.com.
Source: Produce Marketing Association (PMA)