Kelly Hale, vice president of sales and marketing for Highline Mushrooms, says a varied history in produce led her to a rewarding position with the mushroom grower. Though Hale started on the research and development side, she transitioned to sales, as she enjoyed working with people to understand and help solve their challenges.
The Packer: What inspired you to pursue a career in the produce industry, and how did you overcome any challenges to get where you are today?
Hale: Coming out of grad school, I was presented with an opportunity to join a family-owned fresh-cut company in Harrisburg, Pa., called Verdelli Farms, now owned by Fresh Express. My first week on the job, Dan Verdelli put me on a plane and sent me to Santa Maria, Calif., for two weeks to learn about produce and walk the fields and look at the harvest. By the end of those two weeks, I was hooked.
I truly believe farmers are the biggest risk-takers ever and have perpetual hope that tomorrow will be a better day, and I was thrilled to be around that energy and that passion for providing fresh, nutritious food to people, both in the U.S. and worldwide. I was hooked pretty early on and knew that this was going to be my career.
I spent 15 years working for Grimmway Farms, learning sales and how to work with customers, category management and placement and pricing negotiations. I started branching into other commodities and got involved with berries, citrus imports … All of my experience culminated when I was approached by Highline to join their team. I thought I could take all the key elements that I’ve learned along the way and the leaders whose qualities I liked [and] use those and discard any qualities or strategies that I didn’t like.
How did you incorporate your wealth of experience into the position at Highline Mushrooms?
Highline Mushrooms started as a small grower of organic mushrooms in Ontario. Over the years, there were purchases of farms all across Canada, so the company needed someone who could wrap their arms around all these operations and really make an alignment of it. Jose Cambon joined the company, and he and I met because he was looking for a vice president of sales and marketing. We talked about how to throw away old ways and create a new way while still leaning into the atmosphere and origins of a family-owned mushroom farm.
I’ve been with the company for about two and a half years now, and it’s been fast and furious and very exciting.
What advice would you give to young women aspiring to achieve leadership roles?
The biggest thing that I tell some of the younger members of my team is to get involved. Join task forces, join working groups, get exposure, go to the events. Don’t just hang out, but get actively involved in learning your craft and really try to look at the qualities that you see in your leaders and the ones that you agree with and the ones who are successful, and then build on that.
You’re creating dots in your life, and the individual experience may not seem all that meaningful at the time, but then when you look back, those dots are going to show you where you should be going with your career. So, accept every experience. Accept every opportunity and constantly strive to learn more and be better.
Read more about The Packer’s 2025 Women in Produce:
- Rebeckah Freeman Adcock — vice president of U.S. government relations, International Fresh Produce Association
- Erika Allen — founder and CEO, Urban Growers Collective
- Lori Bigras — communications manager, Ocean Mist Farms
- Angela Hernandez — Vice president of marketing, Trinity Fruit Co.
- Kristyn Lawson — president and CEO, Preferred Sales and Marketing
- Tina Lee — CEO, T&T Supermarket
- Robin Narron — marketing director and sales support, Nash Produce
