The deadline to submit nominations for the Women in Agribusiness Demeter Award of Excellence has been extended to Friday, July 29. The awards will be presented at the fifth annual Women in Agribusiness Summit in Chicago, Sept. 27-29 in Chicago.
The Women in Agribusiness Demeter Award of Excellence is named for Demeter, the goddess of the harvest from ancient Greek mythology. It recognizes companies and individuals (men and women) whose achievements further the Women in Agribusiness mission of attracting and advancing women in the ag and food sector, and who exemplify the belief that nurturing gender diversity is in a company’s and the industry’s best interests.
Nominations for the award, which will be given in the three categories listed below, are being accepted at www.womeninag.com.
Leader of the Year
This category recognizes 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. The 2015 recipient of this award was Kim Walker of Faegre Baker Daniels.
Innovator of the Year
This category recognizes a woman who has demonstrated innovation in the initiation, development or launch of gender diversity programs and/or who has affected positive change in her 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. The 2015 recipient of this award was Megan DeVelvis of Dow AgroSciences.
Company/Organization of the Year
This award recognizes the achievements of a company that has initiated programs to support professional development, achievements and overall growth of women in the industry. The 2015 recipient of this award was Beck Ag Inc.
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. When submitting nominations, any given individual can be nominated for only one category. A person or company may self-nominate.