Sheldon, Iowa — A Sheldon woman has been named the most impactful woman of the year in her industry.
Officials from the Women’s Meat Industry Network tell us that Kate Rome, President of Rome Grinding Solutions, based in Sheldon, has been named the Women’s Meat Industry Network’s 2022 Most Impactful Woman of the Year. They tell us the award is designed to recognize outstanding WMIN members who go above and beyond in working towards the group’s mission, which is to make achieving the powerful benefits of gender diversity a shared goal in the meat and poultry industries. Women’s Meat Industry Network officials are saying thanks to Rome for what they call her “leadership and dedication to the education, development, and promotion of women in our industry.”
The WMIN tells us Rome leads the third-generation family-run business and has worked for the company since she was 16 years old, filling roles from purchasing and accounting to general management. They tell us she has served as the president of the company since 2014, and during her time in leadership, they say Rome has been “dedicated to helping women advance in the food processing industry.”
Officials with the Rome company say Rome has increased the number of female employees by 25% and has closed the wage gap for women employed by Rome. In addition, they tell us Rome has talked with other manufacturers and questioned them on diversity, which has prompted many to rethink hiring procedures.
Rome says making a meaningful impact in the professional lives of women over the past six years “has honestly been the highlight of my career, and I will continue pushing forward to achieve equality for women in our industry.”
