Deputy Secretary will meet, address “rising stars” of global produce supply chain at 2012 Emerging Leaders Program

Thunderbird School of Global Management will welcome Kathleen A. Merrigan, Deputy Secretary of the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), to campus March 27 to meet participants of the 2012 Emerging Leaders Program, a custom executive development program delivered by Thunderbird Executive Education for the Produce Marketing Association (PMA) and its PMA Foundation for Industry Talent.

Deputy Secretary Merrigan is a world-renowned agriculture and food policy expert who, working alongside Secretary Tom Vilsack, oversees the day-to-day operation of USDA's many programs and spearheads the $149-billion USDA budget process. In addition to serving on President Obama’s Management Council, Deputy Secretary Merrigan made history as the first woman to chair the Ministerial Conference of the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations. In 2010, she was recognized by TIME magazine as one of the “100 Most Influential People in the World.”

“Thunderbird is delighted to welcome Dr. Merrigan for the conclusion of the PMA Foundation’s 2012 Emerging Leaders Program,” said Dennis Baltzley, Ph.D., Thunderbird’s Senior Vice President of Executive Education. “A global foundation of leadership in every business is the ability to work closely and effectively with people very different from yourself.  Together, the Foundation, USDA, produce industry leaders, and Thunderbird are all focused on building a new generation of global leaders who can meet the global challenges of providing fresh, nutritional food to feed the world’s growing population.”

The 2012 Emerging Leaders Program is designed to prepare high-potential leaders to embrace increasing levels of responsibility and ready them for the challenges and the opportunities that will accompany future leadership roles. Designed and delivered by Thunderbird Executive Education in collaboration with the PMA Foundation for Industry Talent, the annual program is limited to 35 “rising stars” of the global produce industry who are between the ages of 27 and 35. Participants are members of the Produce Marketing Association, the leading trade association representing companies from every segment of the global produce and floral supply chain.

Thunderbird will welcome Deputy Secretary Merrigan on Tuesday evening, March 27.  Portions of the Deputy Secretary’s visit will be open to the media, including the program’s final session and a thought-leadership panel (taking place from 5:30-6:15 p.m. and 6:15-7:30 p.m., respectively).  Exclusive interviews may be arranged through Thunderbird.