Tyson Foods, Inc. and Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc. partner to provide leadership training for undergraduate students

Tyson Foods, Inc., the world’s largest processor and marketer of chicken, beef and pork, and Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc., (AKA) America’s first Black Greek-letter organization, recently partnered to provide leadership training for some of America’s best and brightest minority female college students.

More than 30 undergraduate members of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc. traveled from 25 different colleges and universities across the country to Springdale, Arkansas, to participate in Alpha Kappa Alpha’s 2007 Leadership Fellows Program sponsored by Tyson Foods, Inc., May 19 – 25 at the Tyson World headquarters.

This program, which began in 1979 by AKA, helps undergraduates develop the skills they will need in the workplace by providing training and leadership development, student internships, job placement and mentoring. In 2001, the sorority partnered with Tyson Foods to enhance the program. Cathy Johnson, Vice President of Employment Compliance for Tyson Foods and a member of AKA, was instrumental in facilitating the partnership between the two entities.

“By collaborating with Tyson we are providing additional skills and experience for undergraduates that we believe will help them succeed in the workplace,” said AKA Centennial International President Barbara A. McKinzie. “We believe our relationship will also ultimately help diversify the company’s workforce.”

At the end of the program, participants are required to formally present case studies on various business related scenarios. Several members of AKA’s top leadership team participate in the program and serve as mentors. Also, top executives from Tyson present workshops and assist students by providing them with information for their case study projects.

Tyson Chairman John Tyson spoke to the leadership training participants and answered questions. The group also toured the Discovery Center, Tyson’s new food research and development facility, which opened in January.

Founded on the campus of Howard University in Washington, DC in 1908, Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc. is the oldest Greek-letter organization established by African American college-trained women. Headquartered in Chicago, it is one of the world’s leading service organizations. The Sorority serves all mankind through a nucleus of more than 200,000 women in over 930 chapters in the United States, the Caribbean, Germany, Korea, Japan and Africa.

Tyson Foods, Inc. [NYSE: TSN], founded in 1935 with headquarters in Springdale, Arkansas, is the world’s largest processor and marketer of chicken, beef, and pork, the second-largest food production company in the Fortune 500 and a member of the S&P 500. The company produces a wide variety of protein-based and prepared food products, which are marketed under the “Powered by Tyson®” strategy. Tyson is the recognized market leader in the retail and foodservice markets it serves, providing products and service to customers throughout the United States and more than 80 countries. The company has approximately 107,000 Team Members employed at more than 300 facilities and offices in the United States and around the world. Through its Core Values, Code of Conduct and Team Member Bill of Rights, Tyson strives to operate with integrity and trust and is committed to creating value for its shareholders, customers and Team Members. The company also strives to be faith-friendly, provide a safe work environment and serve as stewards of the animals, land and environment entrusted to it.