Dan'l Mackey Almy, president and founder of DMA Solutions Inc., speaks at the Women in Produce reception May 2 at the 2012 United Fresh show in Dallas. DALLAS — Dan’l Mackey Almy’s roots in agriculture date to her childhood growing up in a small Texas town.
At the Women in Produce reception May 2 during the United Fresh 2012 convention, the president and owner of DMA Solutions, Irving, was recognized for her career-long devotion to the fruit and vegetable industry.
“I love what you grow, ship and pack,” she told the crowd, later adding that the industry should strive to “inspire consumption one creative idea at a time.”
Her early love of agriculture led her to Texas A&M before starting her produce career at Standard Fruit and Vegetable, moving on to Fresh Del Monte after it purchased Standard.
She left Del Monte to launch her own marketing firm in 2003.
Leadership
She credited pictures and stories about female-run produce businesses such as Frieda’s and its owner Frieda Kaplan that she read about in The Packer while a student for inspiring her to become a produce marketer.
Mayda Sotomayor-Kirk, chief executive officer of Vero Beach, Fla.-based Seald Sweet, praised Mackey Almy as a “social media powerhouse and blogger” as well as praising her industry involvement in groups such as United Fresh’s host committee in Dallas, Produce Marketing Association’s Foundation for Industry Talent and YottaMark Inc.’s advisory board.
Sotomayor was recognized at the Women in Produce Event in 2011 in New Orleans.
Speaking before Mackey Almy’s presentation, Publisher Shannon Shuman noted that The Packer’s four recent Person of the Year and Marketer of the Year awards were garnered by women, citing that as evidence that leadership roles in the produce industry are increasingly being staffed by women.
Driscoll Strawberry Associates Inc., D’Arrigo Bros. and The Packer sponsored the reception.
Comments (1) Leave a comment