Q&AGR

FROM DAIRY PRODUCER TO SPOKESMAN TO THE WORLD

Doug McCullough grew up on a Pennsylvania dairy farm. He received a Bachelor of Science degree in dairy science from Virginia Tech, and was named top dairy student in the nation. This past year he was honored as the 2020 Distinguished Alumnus of the Dairy Science Department. In 1986, he was initiated into Beta Eta Chapter and served as the Vice Noble Rule–Planning. Doug obtained a Master of Science degree in Dairy Science from the University of Florida. He worked in the family dairy business, as a University of Wisconsin Extension specialist, and as a consultant at a start-up dairy fi nancial services fi rm. He next earned an MBA at Duke University.

In 2000, Doug joined Johnson & Johnson (J&J) where he has served in a number of diverse roles and leadership positions. He is now a senior manager supporting global supply chain reliability in J&J’s pharmaceutical division, Janssen. Doug is also a leader in J&J’s Diversity & Inclusion efforts, serving on the global leadership team for J&J’s Alliance for Diverse Abilities employee group, which encompasses autism, disability and mental health.

Born with a progressive form of muscular dystrophy, Doug performs community service to help people with disabilities lead more active lives. His activities include serving on advisory committees for the National Muscular Dystrophy Association, CureSMA, and for Penn Medicine Princeton Medical Center.

A popular speaker known for his authenticity and humor, he has been invited to speak at events throughout the United States and internationally. He is also the business manager and co-owner with his brother of a 150-cow, 600-acre dairy farm near Springfi eld, Missouri.

How are you applying lessons learned in AGR at the world’s largest healthcare company?

AGR helped me develop skills that are important regardless of your work, such as leadership skills, the ability to get along and live and work with others, and to get things done. I spent time with high quality brothers of integrity and strong work ethic. I also learned about developing relationships and how to recruit high quality people to your team. These are all critical skills that I continue to use.

What are your key messages as you speak around the nation and world?

The disabled community consists of over one billion people and is the world’s largest and most misunderstood minority group. The most common question I get is: “How do I o er help to a person with a disability?” The answer is the same way you o er help to any person. This speaks to how we objectify people with disabilities instead of thinking of them as just regular people that happen to do things a bit di erently. We shouldn’t pity people with disabilities

nor call them inspirational for doing routine things like having a job. Treat people with disabilities like anyone else. Hold them to the same standards and value the diversity they have to o er.

“Inclusion is not about being nice. It is really about being better!”

What is the value of diversity?

You never know whose experience will be key to solving a problem. The unemployment rate for people with disabilities is 75%, even before the pandemic. We can’t a ord to lose the insights of a billion people. Some of them likely have the insights to help us solve key problems within the industry of agriculture for example. Everyone has value and should be encouraged to participate and fl ourish. Inclusion is not about being nice. It is really about being better!

What can AGR do to encourage diversity?

I would ask each brother to take a genuine interest in learning about others, especially people di erent from himself. Be open. You don’t know everything! By getting to know others, you will be pleasantly surprised and also accomplish more.