Elene MacAdam
District Manager at Yuma County Pest Abatement District & Yuma County Citrus Pest Control District; Co-Owner at Foothills Shopping Center, Co-Owner at Be Free Investments, Co-Owner at Wheezy’s Sports Bar
ELENE MACADAM IS one busy woman.
She’s the district manager at the Yuma County Pest Abatement District and the Yuma County Pest Control District.
And, she’s the co-owner of the Foothills Shopping Center, Be Free Investments and Wheezy’s Sports Bar.
Just one of those titles is a full-time job – yet MacAdam is passionate about each of her professions.
“I love doing field work and the ever changing challenges in the mosquito control and insect portion of my job. I also love mentoring other young professionals and teaching them about shortcuts and strategies that will make their jobs, lives, and businesses run more efficiently,” she said.
With so many projects on her plate, MacAdam said she’s been blessed with many memorable professional moments.
“Opening up Wheezy’s was one dream from my childhood that was a very proud moment and then winning Yuma’s Best
Sports Bar was a huge moment! All the community fundraising we are able to do with this business has made it such a labor of love! Purchasing Foothills Village Shopping Center was another huge childhood dream fulfilled,” she said.
For MacAdam, having mentors is a critical element to professional success – and something she recommends for others.
“Find valuable, successful, and balanced mentors and don’t be afraid to ask for help! Also remember that everyone fails but being resilient and learning from your failures is what will set you apart from the crowd! Keep dreaming and keep going, no matter what! Surround yourself with dreamers and doers, your top five people should be embodying the life you want to achieve,” she said.
In the future, MacAdam doesn’t plan to slow down.
“I see lots of new ventures, lots of mentoring others in business and in life, lots of amazing moments with my family and taking my blessings and helping to bless others,” she said.
THE NEXT TIME you dig into a salad or your mom tells you to eat your veggies, you can rest assured someone like Kelly Miller, food safety director at Griffin Family Farms, has taken care to make sure they are safe to eat.
“As the Food Safety Director for Griffin Family Farms, my main focus is ensuring that our company produces safe and delicious food for consumers. I develop and share training with others on food safety topics, maintain food safety records, and perform food safety tasks such as taking water samples and participating in audits,” Miller said.
“I have been fortunate enough to spend the last 6 years in the agriculture industry and I have loved every minute!”
When asked about what she loves about her job, she shared “I truly believe that have found my passion! I share my love for the produce industry with almost everyone I meet. Every day offers a new dimension with farming and sharing this business with others is exciting. The agriculture industry is innovative and it is an honor to work for our family business that provides food for others.”
Her most memorable professional moment came when she graduated from the United Fresh Leadership Program in 2018.
“The graduation was a wonderful moment that allowed me to reflect on the incredible program and appreciate all that I had learned, while making long lasting relationships with others in the industry,” she noted.
Kelly said her goals are to continue to work alongside her family to carry the business into future generations. She also sees herself finding additional ways to volunteer with her family and give back to the amazing Yuma community.
She noted that lifelong learning is a key to future opportunities.
“I thoroughly enjoy working with other young professionals and a piece of advice I would share with them would be to always keep learning with an open mind. Allowing yourself to be a lifelong learner will open incredible opportunities and will keep you energized and stimulated.”
ASHLIE PENDLETON SAYS she’s mostly a cat-like introvert. But not the annoying kind of cat – more like your favorite cool cat, the kind who likes to observe quietly in new situations, typically thinking through new things before reacting, she noted.
“I’m self-reliant, and keep calm in chaotic or stressful situations. I enjoy learning new things, and can ask a lot of questions,” Pendleton said.
She puts those skills to good use as the marketing specialist for AEA Federal Credit Union, where she helps manage and shape the banking institution’s public image, messaging and branding.
She loves the job because, “It is ever-evolving and allows me the opportunity to be involved in the community, make connections with others and be creative,” she said.
She’s worked in marketing and development in some form since she first started working at 18, varying in capacities in both the public and nonprofit sectors, she said.
Her most memorable professional moment came when she put together her first largescale community event, which she put together with little to no major issues.
“Realizing the magnitude of my accomplishment helped me to understand my value as a professional and to realize I have the know-how and confidence to plan, coordinate and implement a successful event,” Pendleton noted.
When asked for advice for her fellow young professionals, Pendleton said, “Don’t get stuck playing the comparison game. All it does is hold you back from yourself.”
In the future, Pendleton said she hoped to still be having fun while having an impact on her community.
“Hopefully drinking beer and having fun after a week of hard work that makes a difference,” Pendleton noted.