<p style="text-indent:0px; line-height:12px;"><span style="font-weight:bold;line-height:130%"> Scottsdale, AZ</span><hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="invisible minimal-padding"><hr class="invisible minimal-padding">By Eric Anderson<hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="invisible minimal-padding"><hr class="invisible minimal-padding">4.15.13</p><hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="invisible minimal-padding"><hr class="invisible minimal-padding"><p><img src="https://cdn.andnowuknow.com/legacyWriterImages/hl_womans_perspectives_apr_2013_BODY00.jpg" alt="Cropped Images April 25th 2013" />The 2013 Women’s Fresh Perspective Conference concluded this past Tuesday with rave reviews.<hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="invisible minimal-padding"><hr class="invisible minimal-padding">The Conference offered attendees the opportunity to participate in workshops with the goal of helping them hone their business acumens and further develop leadership potential.<hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="invisible minimal-padding"><hr class="invisible minimal-padding"><img class="small-cropped-image" src="https://cdn.andnowuknow.com/legacySmallCroppedImages/hl_womans_perspectives_apr_2013_BODY_marion.jpg" alt="Cropped Images April 25th 2013" />“The conference exceeded my expectations. I was impressed by the number of women, with diverse background and years of experience, who are working in Produce. This truly shows how the industry is changing,” said Marion Tabard, Marketing Director at Turbana Corporation.<hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="invisible minimal-padding"><hr class="invisible minimal-padding">Representatives of the Simmons School of Management offered advice on how to motivate, inspire, lead high-performing teams and hone communication skills to achieve effective outcomes.<hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="invisible minimal-padding"><hr class="invisible minimal-padding"><img class="small-cropped-image" src="https://cdn.andnowuknow.com/legacySmallCroppedImages/hl_womans_perspectives_apr_2013_BODY_Jan.jpg" alt="Cropped Images April 25th 2013" />"The Women's Fresh Perspectives Conference was unlike any conference I have ever attended. It was incredible to see the diversity of industry experience of the women attending and great to meet so many for the first time, as well as to spend time with friends I have made along the way. This program is a home run for the PMA Foundation staff and organizing committee as well as for our industry," said Jan DeLyser, Chair of the Produce Marketing Association and Vice President of Marketing at the California Avocado Commission.</p><hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="invisible minimal-padding"><hr class="invisible minimal-padding"><p><img class="small-cropped-image" src="https://cdn.andnowuknow.com/legacySmallCroppedImages/hl_womans_perspectives_apr_2013_BODY_lesslie.jpg" alt="Cropped Images April 25th 2013" />Leslie Simmons, Marketing Manager at Dave’s Specialty Imports said, “To me, the benefits of the conference were really two-fold. You have the educational component that invigorates and challenges you both personally and professionally. And you have the networking component that allows you to connect with women that have been in the industry from two years to fifty. I walked away from this experience with a new energy, a to-do list (I am actually looking forward to!), and a wonderful new mentor.”<hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="invisible minimal-padding"><hr class="invisible minimal-padding">Newcomers were just as inspirational as established figures in the industry during the conference. </p><hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="invisible minimal-padding"><hr class="invisible minimal-padding"><p><img class="small-cropped-image" src="https://cdn.andnowuknow.com/legacySmallCroppedImages/hl_womans_perspectives_apr_2013_BODY_Karen.jpg" alt="Cropped Images April 25th 2013" />The conference also allowed participants to meet highly-accomplished women leaders like Karen Caplan, President and CEO of Freida’s Specialty Produce, and learn what strategies contributed to their success in the industry.<hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="invisible minimal-padding"><hr class="invisible minimal-padding">“The event helped me realize the tremendous new talent coming into the industry. I was just blown away by their eagerness to share and learn and grow,” said Caplan.<hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="invisible minimal-padding"><hr class="invisible minimal-padding"><img class="small-cropped-image" src="https://cdn.andnowuknow.com/legacySmallCroppedImages/hl_womans_perspectives_apr_2013_BODY_dan'l.jpg" alt="Cropped Images April 25th 2013" />Dan'l Mackey Almy, Founder and President of DMA Solutions said, “My favorite part of the conference was meeting so many women that I did not know from all levels of the industry.”<hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="invisible minimal-padding"><hr class="invisible minimal-padding">She went on to describe the world-class speakers in attendance as “masterful.”<hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="invisible minimal-padding"><hr class="invisible minimal-padding">“My hope for the future of this conference is that there may be a workshop where women with 10 (or more) years of industry experience pair directly with new women. It would allow for a dynamic conversation and the possibility for more young women to connect with new mentors,” concluded Simmons.<hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="invisible minimal-padding"><hr class="invisible minimal-padding"> To all those produce industry professionals who change the face of the industry every day, we applaud and thank you.<hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="invisible minimal-padding"><hr class="invisible minimal-padding"><a class="btn btn-sm btn-primary col-lg-12" style="white-space: normal;" href="http://www.pma.com/" target="_new">PMA</a></p><hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="invisible minimal-padding"><hr class="invisible minimal-padding">
