Meet Becca Bush -- Maryland & Virginia Celebrates Women as Critical Contributors to our Cooperative

March is Women's History Month – commemorating and encouraging the study, observance, and celebration of the vital role of women in American history. Women are a critical component to our cooperative. 17% of our workforce is female. Looking at leadership, 55% of our corporate employees are women. Three out of eight of our Executive Management Team are women. And our Board of Directors, which is predominately male, has two women guiding the strategic direction of our cooperative.  

We’ve selected three employees and one board member to celebrate for Women’s History Month.

We hope you enjoy learning more about them this week, while also reflecting on what your own answers to these questions would be. First, we'd love for you to meet Becca Bush, a field representative. Field Representatives at Maryland & Virginia are our connection between the cooperative and our members, helping them through any questions or concerns that arise as well as working with them through certain regulatory requirements

1. How long have you been with Maryland & Virginia? What roles have you held with us?  

I have been with Maryland & Virginia since June of 2016. My title for the last six years has been Field Representative, and I am in central Pennsylvania. On top of my regular responsibilities as a Field Rep providing services to our members, I also serve as the Record Keeper for the regulatory records for our producers in Pennsylvania, New York, and New Jersey. Additionally, I have been a contributing member of several internal teams for various projects and programs for our staff and members.  

2. If there was one more hour in the day, what would you spend it on?   

If there was an extra hour in each day, I would likely spend it with my dog Reba.  Whether this would be going for a walk, a hike, doing some gardening or going for a drive, it would be some quiet time for just her and I. As a working parent with kids and lots of items to take care of at home and volunteer roles to fulfill in my community, I often do not get time to myself to decompress from the stress of the day.  

3. What woman do you most admire and why? 

I don’t know that I can pick just one woman to admire! I am so thankful to have come from a long line of strong, independent women on both sides of my family that presented a great foundation for who I am today. My mom, aunts, and grandmothers have all left a huge impression on me and are key figures in who I am today.  I have also been blessed to work with many women that have been excellent role models and sources of encouragement.  In addition, I often find myself extremely motivated by our female producers, especially those that take on leadership roles on top of their responsibilities at home on the farm.  

4. What career achievement are you most proud of?  

While I don’t have a specific achievement to reference, I am proud to be employed by an organization that has grown in its focus on not only the quality of the milk we are providing for the consumer, but also the quality of the farms, practices, and image we are sharing of the dairy industry.  Earning the consumer’s trust is imperative for our future as not only a milk cooperative, but also as an industry. Our reputation is everything when it comes to continued sales and success, and I’m proud to be on the front lines of this.