Women in Ag: Leading the Way at Wayne-Sanderson Farms’ Tyler, Texas Complex

At Wayne-Sanderson Farms, dedicated women are making their mark, leading with integrity, determination, and an unwavering commitment to excellence. During Women’s History Month, we are proud to spotlight some of the amazing Women in Ag who help make Wayne-Sanderson Farms a success.

A great example of this is at the company’s Tyler, Texas Complex, where Ashley Van Natta recently made company history as Wayne-Sanderson Farms’ first female Complex Manager, stepping into a role that oversees every aspect of live production, processing, and facility operations. Click here to read more about Ashley: https://wayne-sanderson.com/3DDqyny.

As Ashley has embraced this new challenge, she’s done so with the support of a dynamic leadership team, where half of the members are other accomplished female leaders, each bringing their unique strengths and expertise to the table. These leaders prove that women not only belong in agriculture, but they thrive in it.

Continuing our series on the Tyler Complex, we are proud to introduce Shae King, Operations Manager.

Shae King, Operations Manager

When Shae King first entered the poultry industry, she started as an hourly line associate in the chicken breast department. Later, looking to step into a new challenge, Shae saw an opportunity with Wayne-Sanderson Farms, and began her career with the company as a Supervisor in the dark meat area. Her dedication and expertise throughout her 16 years in the industry have led to continuous growth, first being promoted to Debone Superintendent, then Department Manager, Assistant Operations Manager, and ultimately to her current role as Operations Manager. Today, she leads the processing facility—overseeing people, processes, and performance, working closely with her team to ensure efficiency, quality, and production targets are met.

Shae’s leadership style is rooted in her commitment to building strong, trusting relationships with her team. “Effective communication is one of the strategies I use to allow my team to feel valued,” she explains. “Their opinion means everything. What I’ve learned throughout my career is sometimes a person just wants to be heard. Allowing them to voice their opinions and share what’s on their mind builds trust and fosters an environment where everyone feels included and heard.”

In addition, Shae believes that one of the unique strengths women bring to leadership roles is emotional intelligence. “As a woman and a mother, I’ve learned to use emotional intelligence to support my team. Paying attention to the small details allows you to empathize with others. While emotional intelligence isn’t exclusive to women, it is a strength that we nurture in our daily lives as mothers and caterers,” she says.

“Representation plays a big role for women,” Shae says, reflecting on moments when she’s addressed new hires in orientation, sharing that she started in the very same position. “Be coachable and never think you know it all. Don’t settle for less, and don’t get content,” she encourages.