Women in Agriculture – Reba Preshon
Meet Reba Preshon, Director of Information Technology (IT) Strategic Projects for Wayne-Sanderson Farms. As we honor Women’s History Month, we proudly highlight the pivotal role Reba plays in driving the success of our company.
As Reba embarked on her journey into the realm of IT, the agriculture industry was not initially on her radar. However, upon assuming the role of Helpdesk Support Technician for the company in 2000, she discovered the immense potential of a thriving IT career within the poultry industry.
“My managers recognized my talents and helped me to become the leader they knew I could be through mentorship, 360-degree feedback surveys, and encouraging me to attend leadership development conferences. They also consistently review and update my Individual Development Plan (IDP), ensuring that I have personal growth-focused goals aligned, and placing me in leadership roles on projects to build that confidence,” she says.
Throughout her tenure with the company, Reba has worked in nearly every aspect of IT, holding numerous positions within the department. From her early days at the Helpdesk, Reba’s career flourished as she moved to Report Analyst/Network Support Tech, Client Server Programmer, ERP Analyst II, Senior Business Systems Analyst, Project Manager of Business Systems and Manager of IT Strategic Projects, before being promoted to her current role.
“Wayne-Sanderson Farms provided training and education to develop my leadership skills, as well as provided a path forward in my career,” she states. In addition to her day-to-day tech duties, Reba also serves on several committees at Wayne-Sanderson Farms, sharing her unique perspective for the benefit of the company.
Witnessing first-hand how Wayne-Sanderson Farm values women in leadership roles, Reba has not only experienced growth within her own career, she has also seen other women’s careers thrive. She encourages fellow women in the company by stating, “Be confident in yourself. Find multiple mentors. Create an IDP and take it seriously by reviewing and updating it every quarter. Take advantage of all Wayne-Sanderson Farms has to offer to help achieve your goals, and activities that will support your career growth.”
Thank you, Reba, for sharing your unique perspective on Making Chicken Amazing through a career in IT!
#WomenInAg