Southern Roots' Teri Miller Discusses New Women's Leadership Program
YOUNG HARRIS, GA - Southern Roots, the Southeast Produce Council’s new leadership program for women in produce, is bringing industry individuals together for a unique opportunity in fresh produce. The program, designed to make meaningful connections among our industry’s women, hopes to draw up-and-comers, industry veterans and pioneers alike. I spoke with Teri Miller, Category Manager at Food Lion, Treasurer for SPC and Chairwoman of Southern Roots, to learn the unique opportunities of the program.
“As a board member, we are always looking to provide the best services for our members. I have attended several sessions presented about Women Managers. Many of them fell short for me in really addressing the unique issues for women in the produce industry,” Teri tells me.
The intent of Southern Roots is to address the challenges that women experience, from stereotyping and access to mentors, to self development in a time crunched industry. “The opportunity to meet other women that have similar stories can offer invaluable lessons and learning opportunities,” Teri notes.
“We are here to provide the SPC female members various paths to helping them in their growth as a female leader in the produce industry. Self development is extremely important to me in this process. The quality of that self development is meaningful as well, and is something that will always be at the forefront of our initiatives. All too often I’ve seen these events be a ‘check the box’ occasion. SPC has launched this program with the goal of really differentiating the experience for our industry women," Teri continues.
Teri hopes to bring her own unique experiences as a woman in the produce industry, and looks to lead the program with the key responsibility of creating experiences that cultivate and enrich leadership among women.
Southern Roots, as a program name, was chosen because the Council felt it was reflective of its membership and because of the deep roots in the produce industry that many of the SPC members have or have developed.
“I want to give back what has been given to me and ensure that others have the same chances that I have had,” Teri tells me.
SPC will officially launch Southern Roots at its fall conference, scheduled for Sept. 25-27 at the Brasstown Valley Resort in Young Harris, Georgia, with plans for a comprehensive program at its Southern Exposure conference and trade show, Feb. 26-28, 2015, at the Caribe Royale Conference Center & Hotel in Orlando, Florida.
