Meet The Team
OUR EXECUTIVE TEAM
KATHY DEVOY, Founder
Kathy DeVoy is the founder of the Progressive Packaging Group. She followed her good sense to close a gap in the market where evolving packaging was needed. She runs her business with a keen eye on the horizon and an aptitude for bringing on inventive and self-reliant individuals. Together with Barry Johnston and Eli Riddle, DeVoy has instrumentally led PPG into ten years of successful growth and recently celebrated 30 years in the Packaging industry.
Kathy started in accounting and packaging management before transitioning into a focus on sales and customer service. It is the same core values she has acquired throughout her career that continue to drive the direction of PPG. Once a student of Arizona Western College and Imperial Valley College, Kathy now resides in Salinas with her husband.
BARRY JOHNSTON, Founder
Barry Johnston is one of the founders of Progressive Packaging Group.
ELI RIDDLE, President
Eli Riddle, President of Progressive Packaging Group, grew up in an agricultural family in El Centro, California. With a love of the outdoors and a reverence for a hard day’s work, Eli sought out a career that would keep him in the same field. He went on to graduate with a degree in Ornamental Horticulture from Butte College, and then later returned to school, graduating from Chico State University in 2002.
The early years of Eli’s career were spent working in the greenhouse industry. He then later relocated to Salinas where he started in Agricultural Packaging. It was in 2008 that he helped found PPG with Barry and Kathy, becoming the President in 2016.
DONNA GIVEN, COO
Donna Given has built a career around her adaptability and vision to see every move in life as an opportunity. She resides in Salinas with her husband CJ and is currently the COO for Progressive Packaging Group.
Donna’s background in the software/hardware industry helped hone her skills in communication, effective organization, and managerial operations. After relocating to Salinas from Washington State 14 years ago, she began her career in the Seed Business. She has spent these years moving eagerly up through the industry, taking every trade seriously from processing orders to operating a forklift.
While her list of accomplishments is vast, Donna is currently most proud of her newly nominated status as the 2018 President for California Women in Agriculture – Salinas Chapter. She aims to promote the status of women in Ag and increase awareness of community outreach opportunities, among other initiatives.
The position in life Donna finds herself in today is one made of hard work and inventive drive.