In an industry traditionally dominated by men, Deborah Johnson stood out in the crowd when she became the North Carolina Pork Council’s first female state executive in 2005. Although many women hold leadership roles in the pork industry today, the field of leaders looked a little different when Johnson took over leadership of one of the country’s largest state pork associations.
She’s quick to point out she couldn’t have done it without the support of North Carolina pig farmers and a group of amazing state presidents. During Johnson’s time at NC Pork Council, nine NC Pork Council producer leaders went on to serve on the national level – four as presidents and five others as directors. She says having that caliber of leaders to work with was extremely valuable.
“When I think about those things we did as a pork council, they are a reflection not of me, but of the producers we serve. The association should always be a reflection of your members,” Johnson says.
Her selflessness and vision as a pork industry leader made her a logical choice for the coveted Paulson-Whitmore State Executive Award presented by the National Pork Producers Council and National Pork Board for advocating relentlessly for North Carolina pork producers and farmers. The award, named after former Minnesota and Wisconsin Executive Directors Don Paulson and Rex Whitmore, recognizes the outstanding leadership and commitment of state pork organization executives and is presented at the National Pork Industry Forum each year.
Johnson reflects on some of the big moments in her career and what helped her achieve success.
Q. What personal characteristics helped you succeed in one of the biggest roles in the pork industry?
A. I always took time to really listen to people. That was the best part of my job. The other thing that helped me was resiliency. You may not achieve what you want to achieve right away. Sticking with something and being resilient when you when you face adversity is key. For example, when somebody doesn’t want your producers to be in business, and wants to hurt them, being able to navigate through that and keep a cool head and not let them get the best of you is important. Adversaries may make you mad but take that with you and use it in the right way.
Q. Describe your career path.
A. I grew up on a multi-generation farm in Johnston Co., N.C., where my parents raised crops. With my husband Von, we started our own farming operation raising turkeys, then row crops. I went to work for Prestage Farms in 1992. Over the years, I’ve also worked for Premium Standard Farms, the North Carolina State Ports and Cape Fear (NC) Farm Credit. I was elected to the North Carolina Pork Council in 1995 as a member of the board. I later became president in 1999 and in 2005, accepted the role of executive director and served the organization for 11 years. Today I work for Prestage Farms as communications director.
Q. How did it feel to be one of the first female leaders in North Carolina?
A. There’s no question women have played a pivotal role in the pork industry over the years, but there was a time where they rarely found themselves in leadership roles. I can’t say that I’ve ever felt left out or discriminated against. I feel my input was heard but maybe it would have been differently heard at times if I was a male. But our producers were great, and I always felt accepted. I had great female mentors like Jan Cornelius and Lois Britt to learn from. When I was hired, part of what search committee was looking for was someone they could trust – not necessarily someone they knew. There was a need for that.
Q. What’s your favorite memory from NC Pork Council?
A. We took a chance on supporting a PBS television show – A Chef’s Life. It featured Vivian Howard, a New York chef, who returned home to start a restaurant in eastern North Carolina and talk about the food of the South. During the time I was at NC Pork Council, we were trying to engage people that maybe didn’t know as much about pork. We wanted to try something a little different. Admittedly, there were some things she said about food that might have made some members a little uncomfortable. But that show won a Peabody Award and NC Pork Council was recognized often for being one of the first to buy into supporting that show. But there were a lot of huge moments, a lot of moments of seeing interns or young board members go on to do some really great things. Those are just a few of my favorites.
Q. What was it like to work for an association?
A. Association work is unique. I’ve heard a lot of producers say, “Well, you just need to run it like a business.” And you can do that to a degree, but there are just too many unique things about it to be able to do that fully. Being able to work with people and appreciate people’s ideas, to listen to them – to really listen to them – that was always my goal. That helped me understand where they wanted the organization to go.
Q. What is the biggest change you’ve seen over the years?
A. Consumer interest in how food is raised has grown over the years. I also think we’ve seen a shift in consumers and activists (for lack of a better word) shaping what we do today. Producers are having more contact with consumers and influencers coming out to their farms. This didn’t happen years ago because we didn’t have bloggers or social media when I started. But there’s a lot of value in having folks like that go through our barns, visit with producers and enjoy a pork dish prepared by a chef so they are able to take back what they learned to others.
Q. What other ways have you given back to the pork industry?
A. I am a past National Pork Board member, as well as a delegate to NPPC and the National Pork Board. During my time at NC Pork, we were one of the founders of the North Carolina Animal Ag Coalition, now known as the Food Dialogues, and NC Farm Families, a group that promotes and educates about the value of production agriculture, with a strong focus on pork. During my tenure at the organization, NC Pork worked to fight hunger in North Carolina, partnering with the NC Association of Feeding America Food Banks.
Q. What does this award mean to you?
A. I was surprised. When I look at the men for whom this award was named and the five men who’ve received it to date, you’re looking at a much longer service to the pork industry than I have had. It is very meaningful to be recognized with an award that pays tribute to people for their accomplishments and legacy. I’m honored by the people who made those decisions. It means a lot to me.
More from Farm Journal’s PORK:
Sports Legend Joe Theismann Gets Real About Pork, Football and Goals
How Tosh Farms Is Equipping an Unlikely Source of Employees In the Sow Barn
