I hate to say just when I started in the meat industry, but it was the early 1980’s. I was fortunate to kickstart my career at a company that not only upheld strict food safety protocols but also nurtured a culture of professionalism among management while actively championing the advancement of women. Starting as a laboratory technician and eventually rising to the role of Quality Assurance Manager, I soon realized that this was not the standard practice for most meat companies.
During my tenure, the company merged with another – and all I can say is WOW! I had never been exposed to men in Director and Vice President positions before who frankly did not believe in women in management positions in a meat plant. I encountered numerous instances of what I deemed as highly unprofessional behavior, which I felt compelled to overlook to sustain my job.
Unfortunately, I found this was the norm; and to survive, a woman’s role was to be both pretty and thick-skinned. I had women I supervised who would come in crying, and I remember telling them to go to the back of the lab and scream, cry, or kick the rubber garbage pail– but never show emotion on the floor. This was the mantra I lived by. Even years later at my last position in industry, things had not changed much; women still had to navigate through unpleasant behavior.
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Now, not only have there been culture shifts, but we have assistance available to navigate situations that may arise! Specifically, an organization founded just over two years ago, the Women’s Meat Industry Network (WMIN). Its mission is – “To make achieving the powerful benefits of gender diversity a shared goal in the meat and poultry industries.”
In reviewing WMIN’s goals, I jumped at the chance to be their General Counsel and have Olsson Frank Weeda Terman Matz PC (OFW Law) provide our legal and regulatory services pro bono. I would have given anything to have WMIN around when I was starting and felt very alone. WMIN, in just over two years, has over 1,500 diverse members and has put together a superb mentoring program. Additionally, due to the wonderful sponsorships received thus far, membership and participation in the various programs are still free.
Moreover, with WMIN’s success, it has now hired a part-time Executive Director, Sharon Beals, who I have known for a very long time. Sharon and I have shared many stories of our time in the meat industry. Like me, she began at the bottom and climbed her way to the top. She has held positions of increasing responsibility in food safety and quality assurance in companies such as Tyson, Smithfield Foods, Maple Leaf Inc., and CTI Foods most recently as Chief Food Safety Officer. We both have seen the tremendous change in the industry to ensure women feel more empowered. But as always, there is more work to be done! I am proud to be WMIM’s General Counsel with the backing of my colleagues at OFW Law! I look forward to many more successful years.
