At Pro Citrus Network, we have a plethora of women who are committed to the success and development of our mission and values. We took some time to interview just a few of them in light of International Women’s Day, and how they contribute to various departments in our company.

Related: Meet the Grower: Pro Citrus Network

Women of Pro Citrus Network: Jacquie Ediger

First, we have Jacquie Ediger, the Executive Vice President and co-founder of PCN, and our sister company, Foremost Fresh Direct, which specializes in cold storage and fresh produce logistics in Houston, Texas. She has proudly served the produce industry for over 27 years on various committees and boards and within her local community.

Follow along as she answers a few questions about her life in the citrus industry and the journey she’s taken to get here.

Q: Can you share a bit about your journey in the produce industry, how you arrived at your current position, and what inspired you to pursue a career in this field?

A: I’ve been in agriculture my whole life. I grew up on a farm and from a young age, I watched my grandfather and family work hard to manage the farm and have early memories of working alongside them. I think my work ethic comes from those roots. I majored in Ag Business in college and took a job in the industry after I graduated. In 2004, I joined Allan Dodge with starting PCN (in the dining room of his house no less). And here we are today, 20 years later! 

Q: How do you balance your professional responsibilities with your personal life and commitments?

A: I wouldn’t call it so much a balance…but more of a merging of the two. The produce world is dynamic and I love what I do! You have to have the passion to make it happen in this industry. I enjoy developing people to become great leaders and creating businesses from the ground up. I’m fortunate enough that my husband and my mom love it just as much as I do. So, while doing what I do, I also enjoy time with my family–my husband, my mom, and two adorable English Labs. We all work hard so we can play hard too!

Q: Can you tell us about a significant accomplishment or milestone you’ve achieved in your role within the company?

A: Being a founding member and partner of PCN is the greatest achievement in my career, and I’m most grateful for playing a key role in our growth over the past 20 years. It’s been an incredible journey and humbling along the way, and I look forward to continued growth ahead.

Women of Pro Citrus Network: Christine Raymer

Our next team member is proficient in all things sales, leading our California sales team with effectiveness and drive. Christine Raymer PCN’s VP of sales has been in the produce industry for the past 25 years where she started in an accounting role for an export company. She came to learn all aspects of the business and eventually transitioned to building export sales programs with California citrus, stone fruit, grapes, and other commodities. She loves the produce industry and the fact that a day in the life of business is never dull. In her free time she loves event planning and spending as much time as possible with her first grandbaby who’s four months old.

Q: How do you balance your professional responsibilities with your personal life and commitments? 

A: Sometimes that can be a challenge, but I’ve never shied away from hard work. When times get tough or problems arise, you have to be nimble, roll up your sleeves, and tackle it head-on. At the same time, it’s very important to preserve relationships in your personal life and dedicate time to loved ones, to unplug and be completely present with family, and to enjoy life outside of work.

Q: Can you tell us about a significant accomplishment or milestone you’ve achieved? 

A: I am extremely proud of my three children, whom I raised as a single mom while balancing a sometimes-crazy career in produce. I have two beautiful daughters who are grown and starting their journeys in life, and an amazing son who’s in high school. They are all so smart, kind-hearted, talented and unique. They’re so special to me and I enjoy spending time with them.

Q: Who are some women who have influenced or inspired you throughout your career, and how have they impacted your approach to work? 

A: My mom, I admire her spirit and tenacity. Her support of me and the children has enabled me to have the career and life I have. She taught me that with the right support and working as a team, we can achieve great things. I always try to implement this mentality in the workplace.

Q: Can you share any strategies or tips for other women aspiring to excel in similar roles within the citrus/produce industry? 

A: Work hard and be flexible. Don’t put yourself in a box. Don’t ever say “That’s not my job”, but rather “How can I help?” Learning various parts of the business is valuable, and teamwork is priceless. Pushing ourselves outside of our comfort zone is how we grow.

Women of Pro Citrus Network: Jessica Lopez

Next, we’ll switch departments to Jessica Lopez, our accounting manager. Jessica has been with PCN since 2017 where she started as an accounting specialist. Excelling in her role with numbers and problem-solving, she quickly became department head and has led her team aptly. She’s a mom of two adorable babies with another on the way. Growing up, she envisioned herself in the medical field, or teaching, but when she took her first accounting class, she realized, “THIS is what I love”. The way numbers and math made sense, and how there was always an answer.

Q: What do you find most rewarding about your career, Jess?

A: The most rewarding part of my job is working with our team to solve complex problems and then seeing your team work through issues on their own, and the satisfaction that comes when solutions are found. It’s a full circle.

Q: How do you balance your professional responsibilities with your personal life and commitments, especially while being a mom?

A: Both my professional responsibilities and personal life bring me so much joy. Over the years, I’ve worked on being intentional with my time, thoughts, and actions. This has allowed me to be present when I’m at home and enjoy making memories with my family without any feelings of guilt, and it has also helped me be on my A-game at work and give my undivided attention to the people and tasks at hand.

Q: Who are some women who have influenced or inspired you throughout your career, and how have they impacted your approach to work?

A: Many of the women I work with have heavily inspired me throughout my career. When I first started in citrus, I remember being so inspired when I saw women leaders take ownership of their roles and lead their teams so well. Apart from the real-life inspiration I was privy to, I looked for women speakers on the internet, listened to their speeches, and read books on leadership and careers. Through these two forms of influence, I’ve learned to love the God-given character traits and skills I’ve been gifted with, and I’ve leaned into developing them so I can bring my own set of strengths to PCN.

Women of Pro Citrus Network: MariaElena Gonzalez

From here, we’ll learn some more from our food safety manager, MariaElena Gonzalez. Mari has been with PCN for 7 years, supporting the company since its inception in 2004. For Mari, PCN is a family affair, with both her husband and son working in sales, a day in the office is legitimately working with family. Mari has run a marathon and over twenty half-marathons. She’s an avid food connoisseur and loves to share meals with her husband at home.

Q: Can you share a bit about your journey in the citrus/produce industry, how you arrived at your current position, and what inspired you to pursue a career in this field? 

A: I was raised by citrus workers. Those who grew, picked, harvested, managed the orchards, and sold the fruit. Unlike my family, I chose to work in the medical field. This was until my sister needed a food safety coordinator at the packing house where she was an office manager. I thought I might like it, so I took the job. My passion for this job and industry developed over time, and I never imagined enjoying it as much as I do now. 

Q: Who are some women who have influenced or inspired you throughout your career, and how have they impacted your approach to work? 

A: I didn’t attend college. When I was young, just starting to work, I had an older friend who told me to keep pushing forward. She told me to not let the fact that I didn’t have a formal education stop me. She encouraged me constantly, always reminding me I had what it took to succeed. We came from similar backgrounds, and she rose to executive level in her field. I was always inspired by how much she accomplished, by working hard and continuing to learn.

Q: Can you share any strategies or tips for other women aspiring to excel in similar roles within the citrus/produce industry? 

A: Focus on the duties of the job, then find out how it relates to all other areas of the company. Excel in your immediate area before taking on too much outside of it. You can help others better if you know your job well. Don’t stop asking questions and continue to educate yourself in the field.

Women of Pro Citrus Network: Chelsie Mendoza

With each department playing a key role in the success of our business, our next individual, Chelsie Mendoza, is PCN’s Director of Warehouse Operations. Starting as a sales assistant 9 years ago, Chelsie worked in various sectors of the business before finding a home in operations. She enjoys spending time at home with her mini Australian Shepherd and Australian cattle dog after a long day at the packing house. 

Q: What do you find most rewarding about your career?

A: I think the most rewarding part is seeing the entire process from start to finish. Being able to bring in fruit from the field, or from other countries, and follow it through the facility until we ship it to the end receiver, and ultimately the consumer. It’s rewarding to watch the process from field to delivery to our customers and consumers and to ensure they get the highest quality product, from start to finish.

Q: Who are some women who have influenced or inspired you throughout your career, and how have they impacted your approach to work?

A: I’ve had 3 influential female managers, two of whom came from the stone fruit industry where I previously worked right out of high school. They both influenced how I manage today and I still keep in contact with them. Jacquie Ediger, our Executive Vice President, is the third key mentor who showed me the ropes in citrus and guided me to where I am today career-wise. Even though we’re working within a male-dominated industry, each of these managers has taught me to be confident in ourselves and our work. 

Q: In what ways can we continue to support and elevate women within our industry and company? 

A: I think it’s very important to uplift and empower women in this industry. There have been many meetings where I am the only female in the room, which can be intimidating. We must help one another succeed. I participated in the PMA Emerging Leaders program a few years back and felt that was a great way to connect with women in the industry. Women entering this industry and workforce bring new and creative insight, which is something we need!

Women of Pro Citrus Network: Kim Flores

And finally, we’ll round out our team with Kim Flores, VP of business development and marketing for both PCN and sister company Foremost Fresh Direct. Kim is an industry veteran with a wealth of knowledge in the global citrus and produce industry and serves on various boards and committees. When she’s not traveling nationwide for work, she enjoys taking long walks along the beach in the morning with her husband.

Q: Can you share a bit about your journey in the citrus/produce industry, how you arrived at your current position, and what inspired you to pursue a career in this field?

A: As a Florida native, I’ve been around Florida citrus my whole life and started my career in the industry over 26 years ago. Over this time, the industry changed with imports playing a key role in year-round supply. After years of hard work and a desire to learn the dynamics of the global produce industry, I grew in my career along the way.

Q: What do you find most rewarding about your career? 

A: My favorite part about our industry is the relationships we develop within all parts of the supply chain—our team, growers, vendors, customers, and even competitors. We’re one big community and these network connections stay with us forever.

Q: How do you balance your professional responsibilities with your personal life and commitments? 

A: Sometimes, it’s not so balanced, but that’s okay. There are times when you may need to work long hours to get the job done or be away from home, but at other times, your personal life may require more of your time. But it is very important to intentionally schedule downtime with loved ones and clock out!

Q: Can you tell us about a significant accomplishment or milestone you’ve achieved in your role within the company? 

A: I feel as though my greatest accomplishment has been watching my daughter grow in her career with PCN and in the industry. It’s such a joy for me to watch her talents at work, to see how well she manages key accounts and balances her career while raising a family. I admire her tenacity and am so proud of her.

Q: Can you share any strategies or tips for other women aspiring to excel in similar roles within the citrus/produce industry? 

A: Don’t be afraid of failure—you only truly fail if you don’t try.

Related: Eating Citrus Makes a Difference

Each of these women play a vital role in our company and has found a home at PCN. Their work is pivotal in what we do and guides the direction of where we’re going as a company. With 20 years under our belts, it’ll be amazing to see how each of these women influence our business for the better. 

To learn more about Pro Citrus Network, visit their website or connect with them on Instagram, Facebook or LinkedIN.