Each year, exemplary leaders in agribusiness are recognized with the Demeter Award at the annual Women in Agribusiness Summit, which will be held this year Sept. 27-29. Nominations for the award are now being accepted at www.womeninag.com.
The Women in Agribusiness Demeter Award of Excellence is named for Demeter, the goddess of the harvest in ancient Greek mythology. The award recognizes companies and individuals, both men and women, whose achievements further the Women in Agribusiness mission of attracting and advancing women in the agriculture and food sector and who exemplify the belief that nurturing gender diversity is in a company’s and the industry’s best interests.
The award will be given in three categories:
- Leader of the Year: This category will recognize an individual who has worked to expand and diversify the offerings of the women’s initiatives within their company or the achievements of leaders and entrepreneurs who have made accomplishments of significance that further the mission of Women in Agribusiness.
- Innovator of the Year: This category will recognize a woman who has demonstrated innovation in the initiation, development or launch of gender diversity programs and/or who has affected positive change in a company or in the industry with regard to women’s advancement. Please note: nominees for this award should not hold executive positions within their companies.
- Company/Organization of the Year: This award will recognize the achievements of a company that has initiated programs to support professional development, achievements and overall growth of women in the industry.
Nominations will be accepted through July 1. Entry form and guidelines for submissions are available on the Women in Agribusiness website under the Initiatives tab. There is no limit to the number of entries in each award category, though there will be only one award recipient in each category. Any given individual can be nominated for only one category. A person or company may self-nominate.
Award recipients will be notified prior to being recognized at the fifth annual Women in Agribusiness Summit, Sept. 27-29 at the Hyatt Regency in Chicago.