Happy Holidays! ICYMI: The Top "15 Minutes With…" Interviews from 2024
By Michelle Pelletier Marshall, Women in Agribusiness Media (December 24, 2024)
Time sure flies! Can’t believe we are at the crest of a new year. It’s been an exciting time filled with plenty of developments in ag (like wicked weather, sustainability innovations and women leading ag trade), and many opportunities to showcase our audience and women moving the sector forward (like Dr. Slavica Djonovic and a WIA favorite, Dr. Temple Grandin).
Thank you for tuning in regularly to WIA Today to read, share and react. Suggestions or contributions are always welcome so please reach out anytime.
And below, please enjoy a review of the women featured in our “15 Minutes With…” interviews from 2024.
To note, due to the holiday break, we’ll be back with our next post on January 7, and the next newsletter on January 16.
All the best for a joyous holiday season,
Michelle Pelletier Marshall
Managing Editor, WIA Today
2024 FEATURED “15 MINUTES WITH…” INTERVIEWS
15 Minutes With… Jessica Jones, Senior Manager, Diversity, Culture & Engagement for Smithfield Foods
Smithfield Foods works to prioritize and foster a culture of engagement to ensure that various perspectives are represented to make for well-rounded discussions and decisions. For Jessica Jones, who helps manage DCE initiatives, this is all about creating an environment where people can authentically show up as themselves every day and in any room. Read more.
15 Minutes With… Manulife Investment Management’s Casey Vetsch
Casey Vetsch is a quality service specialist with the Manulife Investment Management Farmland Management Services (MFS) team who based in Washington State. Vetsch grew up in the agricultural industry, spending summers working on her grandparents' cattle ranch in Southeastern Oregon and setting netting for salmon in Bristol Bay, Alaska, during the sockeye salmon run. At MFS she focuses on the Washington apple and cherry platform that it manages for investor clients. Read more.
15 Minutes With… Marji Guyler-Alaniz, Chief Operating Officer, AgriSompo; President, AgriSompo International
There are many words of wisdom in this featured interview, like "For those of you thinking about your path, I can say with certainty: never stop learning, never stop growing. Put your hand up to participate in new initiatives. Try a new role even if you aren’t sure you’re ready (I’ve never quite felt ready)… If you hit a roadblock, find a new road. YOU are in the driver’s seat for your career, and the more well-traveled you are, the better driver you will be." Read more.
15 Minutes With… Ebony Webber, CEO of MANRRS
"MANRRS changed my life when they took a chance on me as a green college student and has assisted in my development and growth to CEO. I want to help develop future generations of CEOs and high-performing leaders in the food, agriculture and natural resources industries, and feel we are well on our way to doing that," said Ebony Webber, MANRRS CEO. WIAToday sat down with Webber to learn more about this nonprofit's efforts to empower traditionally underrepresented and underserved groups. Read more.
15 Minutes With... Alyssa Whitcraft, Executive Director of NASA Acres
A geographer at heart with more than 15 years in academia as a research assistant and professor, Dr. Alyssa Whitcraft was the perfect candidate to establish NASA Acres (yes, that NASA – the National Aeronautics and Space Administration), a new U.S.-focused agriculture and food security program established just last year. Dr. Whitcraft is globally recognized as a thought leader in advancing the use of satellites for agriculture and promoting science for the public good. Read more.
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