The year was 2006. My office phone rang and I heard the voice of PMA’s Ms. Eboni Wall on the line. She had called for a couple of reasons, but mainly to ask me a question I will never forget: “Dan’l, would you support an event specifically for women in the fresh produce industry?” I very politely and calmly answered something along the lines of “HECK, YES!” I knew in my heart that phone call was a pivotal moment for the women in our industry.

The following year, the PMA Foundation hosted the first annual Women’s Fresh Perspectives (WFP) Breakfast for 157 attendees during PMA’s annual Fresh Summit Expo, and two years later, the program grew to include a WFP Reception hosted during PMA’s Foodservice Conference. Each year, both events have continued to flourish and without a question, the breakfast event has become a crown jewel during the Fresh Summit experience. It brings together a group of women and men with varying years of industry experience for a morning of inspiration, sharing and connection, not to mention the impressive speakers. (You may have heard of Condoleezza Rice?)

These events have succeeded due to generous sponsors and because the PMA Foundation has been creative and diligent in growing the event, striving to make it the best it can be. It would have been so easy to conclude that the women in their membership were being effectively served and to stay the course, but that’s exactly what they did not do. For years the Foundation’s leadership and WFP Steering Committee members have spent time on constructive, detailed discussions about how to transition the WFP program from a breakfast and reception into a multi-day event, and those of us who have been a part of the journey since the beginning couldn’t be more proud of what’s ahead.

Those many discussions have resulted in the first annual Women’s Fresh Perspectives Conference taking place April 21-23 in Scottsdale, Arizona. This competency based program was influenced by a leading research-based non-profit organization’s findings that return on equity and total return to shareholders was 34% higher in companies with the highest numbers of women included in senior positions. To build a conference curriculum that most effectively equips our industry’s women leaders, the PMA Foundation has partnered with Simmons School of Management, a widely recognized authority in women’s leadership and management.

I am so grateful for the vision and commitment of the steering committee members who have taken note of such research and diligently worked to create a program that I believe will successfully elevate women’s leadership potential and improve our global produce supply chain. For me, there are so many reasons why people should consider sponsoring, attending or sending someone to this event. For many, the research I shared above will make the decision an easy one.

But as a woman who hires women, I already know how vital women are in business. I choose to support this event for another reason: to develop myself and members of the DMA team as leaders, mentors, and learners. In reality, my reasons for sponsoring and attending this event aren’t really that different than the reasons for supporting many of the other events our industry offers, but this one just feels more special and worth the wait!

I applaud Ms. Eboni Wall for having the vision and passion to stick with this event for so many years and I hope that many of you will also consider attending and supporting this event to experience what is certain to be another pivotal moment in our fresh produce journey. See you in Scottsdale!