As we prepared to head off to PMA, we published a piece entitled a Tribute to Tip Murphy, which mentioned that the PMA Foundation for Industry Talent was to be the home of a new Tip Murphy Legacy Fund, initially funded with grants from Castellini, Chiquita, Naturipe Farms, Paramount Citrus and Ready Pac. The purpose of the fund is to furnish scholarships to various PMA and PMA Foundation for Industry Talent events.
Although the Fund is now undertaking fund-raising to build a permanent endowment, it is still going to give out one scholarship this year. Here are the details:
Recognizing that strong leaders drive the future of the produce industry, the Tip Murphy Scholarship for Leadership Excellence (TMSLE) supports emerging leaders by advancing their careers through development of leadership skills and is funded by the generous donations of supporters of the Tip Murphy Legacy Fund. The fund was created in 2008 to honor the life and career of Tip Murphy, a beloved 15 year veteran of the produce industry.
This new program covers the cost of registration and associated hotel expenses to ONE of a growing number of PMA and Foundation leadership events including:
- Leadership Symposium
- Fresh Summit International Convention & Expo
- Produce Solutions Conference
- Foodservice Conference
For the 2009 year, one scholarship will be awarded. The application deadline is November 14, 2008.
Applications will be reviewed anonymously by a Scholarship Advisory Council and all applicants will be notified by the PMA FIT Executive Director of the selection decision by November 28, 2008.
To be eligible, candidates must:
- Be employed in any segment of the produce supply chain both at the time of application and at the time of the chosen event
- Have been employed in the produce industry for a minimum of 3 years
- Demonstrate character, leadership and a desire to make a meaningful contribution to the industry
To be considered in the application process, all three requirements must be submitted at the same time:
- Completed application form
- Personal statement describing yourself, career aspirations, leadership philosophy and why a Tip Murphy Scholarship is sought
- Letter of support from employer (CEO, direct supervisor or VP of Human Resources)
Note: By accepting this scholarship, you allow the PMA Foundation for Industry Talent to include your name and company name in materials promoting the Tip Murphy scholarship program.
So this scholarship provides free registration and hotel to the winner’s choice of premier PMA and PMAFIT events. Depending on membership status, which event the winner chooses and the number of days in the hotel, this scholarship can be worth in excess of $5,000!
Note, however, this year the deadline is coming fast. You need to get the application and supporting paperwork in by November 14, 2008 — that is just ten days from now.
So download the application here, get a letter of support from your employer in the works and make sure everything is filled out and returned by November 14, 2008.
The scholarship is new so the odds are better if you apply this year. Next year, you can expect many more applicants and thus a stiffer competitive pool. So enter now, once again, you can download the application here.
