NEWARK, DE – After 10 long, successful years of attracting, developing, and retaining talent for the produce and floral industries, the PMA Foundation for Industry Talent is now rebranding as the Center for Growing Talent by PMA, setting itself up for an even brighter future ahead.
The announcement was made to celebrate the group’s 10th anniversary.
“The PMA Foundation for Industry Talent is celebrating its 10th anniversary this year. Well, we aren’t the types to celebrate and eat cake. We have spent the last several months in thoroughly examining our past work,” Dick Spezzano, Chairman of Center for Growing Talent by PMA and President of Spezzano Consulting Service, Inc. “Our goal is to remake ourselves in the best form for the next ten years.”
“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.”
Over the past 10 years, the foundation has reached nearly 800 students, 65 percent of whom have come to work in the produce and floral industries, Margi Prueitt, Executive Director of the Center for Growing Talent by PMA, said in a press release. But there’s still plenty more opportunities for growth ahead. The Center for Growing Talent by PMA is leaning into the industry’s most important priorities with these changes:
The Center for Growing Talent by PMA:
- is scaling up its Attract strategy, to reach more universities and students;
- is calibrating its Develop strategy, so its leadership programs best meet the mission and are sustainable;
- will position itself to help companies understand what it takes to keep and advance the right people by defining its Retain strategy
The Center for Growing Talent by PMA is kicking off a fun social media initiative called the “Take the 10 for Talent Challenge,” which asks 10,000 industry members to demonstrate their commitment to talent by contributing $10 online at www.GrowingTalentbypma.org/give10 or by texting 10forTalent to 41444. Then, post the news that you’ve taken the challenge on Facebook, LinkedIn, or Twitter using the hashtag #10forTalent along with a picture of you wearing orange.
Those who submit photos via www.GrowingTalentbypma.org/10-for-talent can win a free registration for one of the group’s programs. Finally, sign up to be a fundraiser and invite 10 colleagues to accept the challenge too.
“If you aren’t familiar with what Center for Growing Talent by PMA can do for you or 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.”
The Center for Growing Talent by PMA says that this rebranding signifies a huge commitment and hopes that you and other industry colleagues will take the challenge to fund and accelerate its mission to grow the people across the produce and floral industries.
