Women’s Catalyst Award renamed to honor Frieda Rapaport Caplan
The Women’s Catalyst Award, which honors an individual’s support for women in the industry, has been renamed the Frieda Rapoport Caplan Women’s Catalyst Award.
The award is given at the Women’s Fresh Perspectives Leadership Breakfast during the Produce Marketing Association’s Fresh Summit, and Caplan received the award in 2019. Caplan, who died in January at the age of 96, founded Frieda’s Specialty Produce and blazed a trail for women in the industry.
“When the Caplan family and I started discussing the opportunity to honor Frieda’s legacy by renaming this award, it seemed fitting that we would be recognizing her by recognizing other industry leaders each year for embodying the work and values that she was known for,” Doug Bohr, executive director of the PMA Center for Growing Talent, said in a news release.
Bohr, Caplan’s daughters Karen Caplan and Jackie Caplan Wiggins, and granddaughter Alex Jackson Berkley announced the name change in a live video on PMA’s LinkedIn page on Oct. 1.
Karen Caplan is CEO of the company, Jackie Caplan Wiggins is vice president and chief operating officer, and Jackson Berkley is sales manager.
This year’s recipient will be recognized at the Women’s Fresh Perspectives General Session Oct. 15. Fresh Summit is a virtual event this year, Oct. 13-15. Registration is available online.
“Last year, when we found out that Mom was receiving the award, we didn’t know if she were going to be able to accept in person since she had just broken her leg a few months prior,” Karen Caplan said in the video. “It actually became an incredibly motivating goal for Mom! As she said, ‘I never saw obstacles.’ Now, to see that her legacy will be remembered and recalled every year touches our family deeply.”
“Taking a Seat at the Table,” the Women’s Fresh Perspectives general session, follows the award presentation. It will address the work-life balance, networking, mental well-being and importance of diversity, according to the release.
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