By inspiring the next generation of women in business and providing local services for the community, Kate Nelson Terrell is defying social standards.
On Nov. 9, Terrell, President and General Manager of Wallace’s Garden Center in Bettendorf, Iowa, was recognized as Pleasant Valley High School’s Wall of Honor recipient.
Initiated in 1999, the Wall of Honor program at PVHS celebrates alumni who have gone above and beyond to impact their community through their service. Nominees are required to have graduated at least 10 years prior to induction and need to have met specific criteria. The award is given to one recipient each year during the annual National Honor Society induction ceremony.
Feeling sentimental about her time at Pleasant Valley, receiving this award was an even greater honor for her. “I gave a lot of my time here—nights until 11 P.M. and midnight working on pasting up the paper, setting up for all the dances with social committee and hauling hunger drive boxes into the trucks,” she continued, “So after giving all of that and having such a great high school experience, to be recognized for not only what I did here, but what I’ve done since then is really amazing.”
During her time at Pleasant Valley, Terrell wrote articles for the Spartan Shield newspaper, held an important role in the school’s horticulture club and was a distinguished member of the National Honor Society. Her active engagement in extracurricular activities allowed her to explore numerous opportunities to become more involved with the school.
Terrell possesses a myriad of qualifications that allowed her to construct a resumé loaded with community service and work. In September 2004, she became the general manager of Wallace’s Garden Center, obtaining leadership of her family’s business. Before her time at Wallace’s, Terrell was the Perennial Department Manager for Chalet Nursery and Garden Shops for three years.
Due to her prior experience in management and working at Wallace’s with her dad, Terrell felt prepared to lead the company. “I started working with my dad full time after college, around 2005, so I always knew how much work it was, how hard it was, but I also grew up seeing the benefits of being part of the community and being in business. So taking over, I thought I was really ready the year before I took over as owner,” Terrell shared.
After receiving her bachelor’s degree in ornamental horticulture from Iowa State University, Terrell moved to Chicago for four and a half years to fulfill her dream of living in the ‘Windy City’. However, after wanting to put her focus on Wallace’s, Terrell moved back to Iowa and decided to scale the company back from its previous three locations to one in Bettendorf. Directing attention to one store allowed Terrell to improve the quality of its products while ensuring proper service to customers.
Her work has influenced the future of female leaders in society, serving as an icon for young women across the state.
“As a woman in business, the horticulture and agriculture industry, there’s not a lot of female leaders, so one of my goals has been to work with young women to get leadership roles in the industry,” Terrell continued. “Growing up, everyone that I saw in the industry was male and in charge, and there weren’t a lot of females making decisions, so that’s definitely a goal that I still have today.”
The role of women in the workplace is controversial in American society. Wage gaps, gender biases and the glass ceiling have all increased the gap between the men and women. These gender disparities which occur in leadership positions in the United States are evident. In 2023, women accounted for 10.6% of CEOs in Fortune 500 companies, 29.9% of state senate seats and 32.8% of university presidents. Although these percentages have improved since previous years, the discrepancy remains an issue.
With limited opportunities for young women to involve themselves in leadership roles, it is important to have distinguished leaders who can serve as role models. Janene Murphy teaches business and advises the Future Business Leaders of America club. “There are some people out there that you can look to and say, ‘wow she made it’,” Murphy explained. “When you see it happen at a local level, all of a sudden you’re like that could be me. This person who lives close to me was able to make it happen, so this is something that’s reachable.”
As the number of women in leadership increases, having figures in a community for young women to follow encourages them to pursue leadership roles.
Terrell’s Wall of Honor recognition has shone a spotlight on the underlying issue of gender gaps within leadership positions. With her work in the business industry, she emerges as an important figure for young women in the community and an influence on the advancement of female leaders.
