ALUMNI IN ACTION
Don’t squander your
moments in FFA! Take
advantage of every
opportunity that seems
right for you.
Photo Captions: top, The past State Officer team from 1992-1993 reunited at the
State Conference last year to celebrate their 25th reunion. The team announced a
scholarship commitment to current FFA members. Pictured here are Devry Boughner-
Vorwek and Matt Terra.; bottom, Taryn and Devry take a moment for a quick picture
before the Delegate Luncheon.
What is your position at Cargill
and what did it take to get there?
I serve as Chief Communications
Officer and Global Lead of
Corporate Affairs for Cargill. Our purpose
is to nourish the world in a safe, responsible
and sustainable way. My responsibility is
to lead a team of seasoned professionals
across the globe in communications,
government
relations,
corporate
responsibility, sustainable development,
and brand. Our team’s tagline is that we
serve at the “intersection of geopolitics,
business and stakeholders.” We help the company navigate the
ever-changing geopolitical landscape.
Getting to this point in my career took years of education in ag
economics and policy, experience in government and private
sector, and lots of hard work making connections and developing
a strong understanding of the business and how geopolitics
impacts the business.
What are some of the coolest experiences
you’ve had working at Cargill?
Interacting with foreign governments, meeting
colleagues from all across the globe. Cargill is in
70 countries worldwide and we trade with over 130. We are
creating connections that nourish the world! I am inspired every
day by what Cargill does to feed people, invest in communities
and create opportunities to pull people from poverty.
I loved working in Washington, DC for Cargill as well as living
for a short time in China and India. Now I am enjoying living in
Minnesota. I am surviving the winters in Minnesota and loving
the skiing and snowshoeing, and absolutely loving the summers
by the lake…we have over 10,000 lakes here. Come visit Cargill!
We would love to have you!
What does the word “leadership”
mean to you?
To me, leadership means caring
for something bigger than yourself
and devoting your life to making a positive
impact. Leadership is not about being
selfish and seeking accolades. Rather, it’s
about caring for other people so much that
you want to devote your time, talents, and
resources to making their lives better. Leaders
need to be inspired by change and inspire
change in others.
What are the internship opportunities Cargill has to
offer?
We have an awesome internship program and it
would be great to see more California FFA member
alumni apply. College students spend their summers working
with us and learning about the company. This year we had three
interns in Corporate Affairs that worked hard on issues like
addressing deforestation, mapping key partnerships for Cargill,
and addressing our social media strategy.
PS:
It
goes
without
saying
that I am so
proud of my best
friend’s daughter,
Taryn
Wright,
for zipping up
the blue jacket! It
makes me happy
to know she is
carrying on the
legacy of FFA
leadership.•
California FFANEWS • PAGE 7 • Winter 2018