Gretchen Carlson to Keynote CGT's Women's Fresh Perspectives Conference
NEWARK, DE - The sixth annual Women’s Fresh Perspectives Conference, hosted by the Center for Growing Talent by PMA, is approaching rapidly, and this year, television news anchor, bestselling author, and women’s advocate Gretchen Carlson will close out this must-attend event as the closing keynote speaker.
“Get ready to be wowed. Gretchen is grounded in the heart of two of today’s very hottest topics: politics and women’s issues. We are thrilled to have a speaker of her caliber join us,” said Nancy Johnston, Sr. Manager of Produce Sales at Sysco Corporation and Co-Chair on the volunteer Women’s Fresh Perspectives planning committee. “To boot, joining Gretchen is another Carlson with a message designed specifically for today’s women.”
A no-holds-barred political reporter and commentator, Gretchen Carlson most recently hosted “The Real Story” on Fox News and co-hosted the #1 “Fox and Friends” and CBS’s “The Saturday Early Show” before that. Her 2017 book Be Fierce: Stop Harassment and Take Your Power Back became a New York Times bestseller and Her Gift of Courage Fund empowers young girls by helping them build their self-esteem and confidence.
Human behavior and connections expert Collette Carlson–no relation to Gretchen–will be another of the conference’s keynote speakers. Her session “Speaking Your Truth” combines facts and fun to help attendees learn to speak their truths. Colette Carlson’s credentials include serving as Leadership Faculty for Executive Women International. She also writes a monthly column, "Tactfully Speaking," for Business Management Daily.
Continuing its time-proven model, this year’s Women’s Fresh Perspectives Conference will deliver professional development education on a diverse range of timely topics to help industry women leverage their strengths. The three-day event includes general sessions for all attendees, as well as breakouts tailored to attendees’ career stages. With topics ranging from resiliency to being an introvert in an extrovert world to intersectionality (the interconnectedness of gender, race, and other social categorizations), privilege and discrimination, as well as the popular multigenerational She Speaks panel making a return, this year’s Women’s Fresh Perspectives Conference is one for the books.
“Our companies and the entire supply chain benefits when we develop and leverage the talents and passions of our female colleagues,” said Leslie A. Simmons, Vice President of Dave’s Specialty Imports. “This conference delivers proven programming in an immersive experience that ensures that every woman can own the ability to live and work more purposefully.”
According to a press release, CGT’s professional and academic partners teamed up to design the educational sessions for this year’s event, and with networking woven throughout the agenda, come one come all who wish to build and maintain strong female support communities. The CGT’s 2018 Women’s Fresh Perspectives’ theme is “Own It”–carried over from 2017 because there is so much more ground to cover.
“The myriad demands of today’s industry and economy also demand that we must work more intentionally to attract, develop, and retain the talent we need to survive and thrive in the future,” said CGT Vice President, Talent Portfolio Alicia Calhoun. “CGT was created by our industry and PMA to do just that. If you aren’t already familiar with us, look into us today. Your future depends on it.”
CGT is a nonprofit charitable organization that delivers industry-specific solutions–like development programs that span all career stages ranging from young professionals, middle-level managers, and emerging leaders and senior executives–for the global fresh produce and floral industry.
CGT’s suite of Women’s Fresh Perspectives offerings is topped by the annual conference and includes networking receptions at key industry conferences throughout the year, as well as a motivational Leadership Breakfast at PMA’s annual Fresh Summit Convention & Exposition.
Presenting Sponsors of this year’s Women’s Fresh Perspectives Conference include Sunkist Growers, Inc. and Sysco/Freshpoint. In addition to program-specific sponsorships, CGTs overall work is made possible by annual charitable gifts from visionary companies and individuals from across the industry supply chain.
Registration for the 2018 Women’s Fresh Perspectives Conference is now open! The fee for first-time attendees who are CGT donors or PMA members is $2,900 and $5,800 for non-donors or non-members. Discounts are available for returning attendees and companies sending two or more attendees. Registration does not include lodging or transportation.
This year’s conference takes place on April 15-17 in Miami, Florida. If you’re a woman in the produce and floral industry at any career stage looking to cultivate your potential, be sure to register by March 9th for early bird savings. Registration closes on April 12th, or when the conference sells out. For more information and to register, visit the website. For more of the latest in our industry, keep checking back with AndNowUKnow.
