The recipients of the 2024 Women in Agribusiness Demeter Award of Excellence have been named. Sharon Beals of the Women's Meat Industry Network will be recognized for her exceptional contributions to the ag/food sector at the 13th annual Women in Agribusiness Summit Sept. 24-26, 2024, at the Hyatt Regency Denver at Colorado Convention Center.

The Women in Agribusiness Demeter Award of Excellence, now in its 12th year, is dedicated to acknowledging the outstanding achievements of women in their respective fields and their exceptional contributions to the agribusiness industry. Recipients must have a minimum of 10 years of experience in food and/or ag, be an inspiring role model for other women in the sector, exhibit notable professional achievements and more. The complete guidelines are online, as is a list of all past recipients.

More on Sharon K. K. Beals, executive director, Women's Meat Industry Network, food safety and regulatory executive for beaconpoint labs and founder of SKKB-LLC:

In her decades-long career in food and ag, two things stand out about Sharon Beals, aka “SKKB”: first, the use of her skills and expertise in the field of food quality and safety to bring about transformative changes while upholding the messaging of the meat industry. Secondly, and overwhelmingly mentioned in the eight nominations she received for the WIA Demeter Award of Excellence, is her steadfast commitment to assisting others in finding their place in ag through listening, nurturing and encouraging their growth and development along with offering concrete actions to make that happen.

Through her years in food safety, quality and regulatory compliance, Beals, who is now based in Corinth, Texas, held leadership roles with companies like US Foods, Maple Leaf Foods, Smithfield Packing, Tyson Foods/IBP and more. Her service to the industry is reflected in her engagement with the American Meat Science Association (2024 president elect, 2024 Industry & Organizational Achievement Award winner, 2021 Signal Service Award winner, past board of directors member, RMC chair and past Development Council member); the Beef Industry Food Safety Council (board member and past chair); Women in Agribusiness (advisory board member); The Alliance for Advanced Sanitation (advisory board); and the Food Safety Summit Educational Advisory Board, as well as being named a finalist for the Most Impactful WMIN of the Year in 2022 and 2023. Beals also is a sought-after speaker and guest teacher at California State University, Fresno.

“There is simply not enough time, space or words to describe what Sharon has done for women in the agriculture industry, especially in the meats sector. She is helping mold the future industry leaders,” said one of her nominators, Amanda Gipe McKeith, a professor at California State University, Fresno.

Source: Women in Agribusiness