Leonard Batti, vice president of Taylor Farms, is the new chairman of the Produce Marketing Association’s Center for Growing Talent.
His term started at the center’s Oct. 22 board meeting. Nine industry representatives also joined the board.
During the meeting, Batti discussed three priorities, according to a news release:
- Continue to increase the number of students learning about produce and floral, and focus on skills and training that PMA members identified as necessary;
- Prioritize expanding the development and retention of young professionals to build on the effects of the Emerging Leaders Program; and
- Commit to helping PMA create a more diverse and inclusive workplace.
“It is my vision that by focusing on expanding our talent streams and creating programming that fosters a diverse and inclusive workforce, (the Center for Growing Talent) becomes a true center for the industry,” Batti said in the release. “One that is built on scalable, efficient and easily accessible platforms that support the delivery of year-round content and value.”
New board members are:
- Neila Alamo of Renaissance Food Group;
- Steven Daum of FloraLife;
- Kristen Smith Eshaya of JV Smith Cos.;
- Elyse Lipman of Lipman Family Farms;
- Shawn Peery of Albertsons Cos.;
- Greg Reinauer of Tom Lange Co. Inc.;
- Kathy Smith of Bayer US Crop Science;
- Caitlin Tierney of 99 Cents Only Stores; and
- Larry Zink of Michigan State University.
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