October 2022 - 14

DUETS
just listen and learn. Instead of
the knee-jerk response that we're
accepting diversity and all is fine,
we need to just acknowledge
we're still coming up short on
the inclusion part. Lela, what has
your experience been as a private
sector supply chain member?
Lela: I believe the perception
women have in horticulture is
that they lack experience. I do a
lot of trade shows, and at shows
I'm often perceived as some lady
they sent from the office to fill in.
I can be standing at the booth
next to one of our sales " guys, "
and I will greet the approaching
customer, but they greet my
salesman. They do not talk to
me, even though I'm speaking to
them. I find this comical because I
have over 40 years' experience in
horticulture, including fertigation
and irrigation. Once I start to
interject some questions into the
conversation, they finally realize
I can help them. We often laugh
after they leave because it's so
common. Men often underestimate
women's abilities.
Peter: Anyone who knows you,
Lela, knows how absurd that
behavior is. And anyone who
knows you also appreciates your
ability to laugh it off and flip
the script while communicating
with these growers. I never tire
of watching you take an injector
apart in a
greenhouse
to show the
grower how to change a seal ...
instant respect.
Lela: I feel comfortable talking
about my experiences, Peter; I was
not insulted by being ignored by
men. I honestly felt it was comical.
I completely understand why men
did that. All I hope is that things
will continue to change.
My daughter Pam Temko is
CEO of our company, Dosatron
International Inc. Pam comes
from a family of very strong
Italian women. I believe this has
helped her navigate the different
markets we service and manage
our wonderful employees. One
of the markets Pam started in
was the livestock market, our
largest. This market is primarily
made up of male farmers, similar
to the horticulture market. I
credit her perseverance, calm
personality and extensive
knowledge of that market for
the success she has had.
Peter: You let the cat out of
the bag, Lela, thanks. The next
Duets article will also be a " Trio "
with two of our industry's nextgeneration
women. Your daughter
Pam and Molly Dishman, daughter
of Dave Bartlett of Bartlett
Instruments, have agreed to join
me to discuss their experiences.
I'm anxious to hear what they
have to say on this subject.
Lela, your descriptor " very
strong Italian women " is an
excellent point that I'd like to
explore. In recent years, I've read
several books about
human personality,
specifically
introversion
10.5x7_2022_Prefinished_.indd 1
and extroversion. I am a proud
introvert and suspect Bridget has
some introvert traits. However,
to your descriptor and also from
knowing you, I sense that you're
an extrovert.
I also spend much time
thinking about my childhood
and career in my family's farm
and greenhouse business. An
observation from my experience is
how important the position of the
family matriarch is. I describe my
mother in Lela's terms; she was
a very strong Armenian woman.
It was no secret - she ran the
show. While she didn't go to
conferences or enjoy the technical
side of growing crops, her hand
touched everything we did. I am
in awe of what she accomplished
and consider the matriarch a
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October 2022

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of October 2022
