Junior Board Interview - Tammy Akers
In this month’s WISE Jr. Board interview, we are featuring Tammy Akers, a Food Regulatory Compliance Manager at John B. Sanfilippo and Son, Inc.
From the processing line to the boardroom, Tammy has built a remarkable career grounded in curiosity, courage, and compassion. With over 25 years in the food manufacturing industry, she has steadily advanced by saying “yes” to learning and embracing the unknown, from machine operations to regulatory compliance, and now people leadership. In this interview, she shares the defining moments that shaped her path, the values that guide her, and how she’s paying it forward through her role on the WISE Jr. Board.
WISE: You’ve worked your way from the processing line to a leadership role in regulatory compliance - what have been some of the most defining moments along that journey?
TAMMY: I’ve had a few defining moments in my career, and they all pretty much center around taking a leap of faith and jumping in to learn more. Oddly enough, I’ve not actually applied for many roles in my career. My drive to learn has always defined my path throughout my career. Wanting to learn more on the processing line opened the door to becoming a machine operator. Wanting to learn about other roles in food manufacturing moved me into quality. Wanting to understand how labels are created landed me into regulatory. The latest defining moment was becoming a people manager; it’s opened a whole new level of insight to the business side of the business. Mostly, I’ve been lucky enough to have supportive supervisors and managers along the way that are willing to nurture my thirst for knowledge and always opening doors for me to walk into my next step!
WISE: What first sparked your interest in food regulation, and what keeps you passionate about it 25 years later?
TAMMY: Food regulation was interesting to me at first because I didn’t know much about it. There wasn’t a lot of change in the regulatory world in the early days, but that was ok because I had a LOT to learn. However, in the last decade, or so, there has been a lot of regulation changes around food. These ever-changing rules have been keeping the role fresh and different.
WISE: As a new people manager, what leadership values are you bringing into your team, and what are you learning so far?
TAMMY: I believe some key leadership values that I’m bringing to the table are compassion and empathy. We live in a fast-paced world both in business and personal lives. Having compassion and empathy is important for creating a good culture and building a strong team. Truly caring about the wellbeing of your team members is important to building relationships. I’m also learning that building positive relationships within your internal and cross-functional teams is a key driver to success, especially in times of struggle.
WISE: Going back to school to get your degree while working is a huge accomplishment. What drove you to pursue your B.S. in Nutrition Science, and what advice do you have for others thinking of doing the same?
TAMMY: The biggest driver that I had to going back to school was that I had been laid-off and realized quickly that getting a foot in the door without a college degree was very difficult. So, I registered for my local community college and fairly quickly was able to land a role here at John B. Sanfilippo and Son. School has been a slow and steady process with some breaks in-between but consistently filling my need to learn. It made sense for me to obtain a degree in Nutrition Science since claims on food products are often centered around nutritional benefits. Understanding nutrition, really allows me to better assess and substantiate these types of claims. The advice that I would give to someone thinking about going back to school is that it doesn’t matter how long the road is to obtain your degree, just stay the course you’ll get there.
WISE: You mentioned plans for a future M.S. - what would you like to study next, and how do you hope it will impact your career?
TAMMY: I am currently looking at two post-grad program options. The 1st is an M.S. in Regulatory Affairs which covers food, pharma, and medical devices. The 2nd is a MJ degree in Global Food Law. I’m hoping that a post graduate degree will open even more doors to new and exciting opportunities.
WISE: What does being part of the WISE Jr. Board mean to you personally, and what impact are you hoping to make in your role?
TAMMY: I was a young girl during the time of women breaking the glass ceiling in the 80’s. I was always inspired by women not only entering the workplace but impacting it. WISE aligns with my core values of women not only having a place at the workplace but growing and thriving in it. I’m hoping that my role on the Junior BOD will allow me to help give other women the resources to confidently take leaps of faith, fight for what you want and deserve, and to push boundaries.
WISE: If you could go back and give advice to yourself when you were just starting out on that processing line, what would you say?
TAMMY: Wow, that is a hard question because there is so much I would go back and tell myself! I think the biggest piece of advice would be to not let opportunities of growth pass you by because of self-doubt and fear of failure. Failing isn’t the end, it’s just the next hurdle to overcome and lesson to learn.