PMA announces 2014 Tip Murphy Scholarship recipients

The Produce Marketing Association (PMA) Foundation for Industry Talent has announced the fourth annual Tip Murphy Scholarship for Leadership Excellence recipients for 2014.

The PMA Foundation Tip Murphy Selection Committee selected Steven Bindas of Chiquita Brands and Casey Kio of AMC Direct. The scholarship is part of the PMA Foundation’s initiative to establish a workforce with the diverse skills necessary to meet the complex demands of business.

Created in 2008 to honor the life and career of produce industry veteran Tip Murphy, the annual scholarship grants industry professionals the opportunity to engage in industry-specific professional development through PMA and PMA Foundation programs.

Bindas has elected to pursue the PMA Foundation Emerging Leaders Program. Partnering with the well-renowned Thunderbird School of Global Management, Bindas will join the rest of the 2015 class, March 8-12 in Glendale, Arizona.

“I am honored and humbled to win the 2014 Tip Murphy Scholarship for Leadership Excellence,” said Bindas. “This scholarship gives me the opportunity to participate in the Emerging Leaders Program which is going to be a great tool for me to hone and develop my leadership skills.”

Kio has chosen to engage in the PMA Foundation High Performance Management Conference. She will join a group of peers throughout the supply chain on Sept. 14-17 in Chicago.

“To be able to represent AMC Direct and our industry through this scholarship opportunity is sincerely humbling,” said Kio. “In a fast paced industry such as produce, I believe it is vital to continue to develop and grow both personally and professionally.”

The scholarship covers registration fees and associated hotel expenses for any of the PMA Foundation’s leadership development programs, and is funded by supporters of the Tip Murphy Legacy Fund, an endowment established by friends and colleagues of Murphy to honor his life and career.

For more information about the scholarship or to apply in 2015, visit www.pmafoundation.com.