Her Story
About Jermeka
Jermeka Newkirk is an experienced Electronic Data Interchange (EDI) professional with nearly fourteen years of expertise helping organizations streamline critical business operations through technology, problem solving, and cross-functional collaboration. Based in North Carolina, she currently serves as a Senior EDI Analyst with Dole Fresh Fruit Company, where she independently manages the company’s EDI operations for North America. Her role involves overseeing the flow of essential business documents such as purchase orders, shipping notices, and invoices while serving as the primary point of contact for troubleshooting, testing, onboarding, and implementation projects. Throughout her career, she has built a reputation for being highly dependable, resourceful, and capable of managing complex EDI environments with precision and efficiency.
Jermeka’s career path reflects both versatility and deep technical knowledge across multiple industries, including retail, healthcare, logistics, and consumer goods. Her experience includes roles with companies such as PepsiCo, Tempur Sealy International, Change Healthcare, and Advance Auto Parts, where she specialized in EDI production support, financial transactions, supplier onboarding, compliance testing, and systems integration. Much of her work centers on troubleshooting failed documents, identifying root causes, correcting issues, and ensuring seamless communication between trading partners and internal teams. She has also played a major role in building and managing EDI programs from the ground up, often serving as the sole EDI resource responsible for keeping high-volume transaction environments running smoothly. Her ability to collaborate with operations, finance, sales, IT, and external customers makes her an essential bridge between technical systems and business operations.
A graduate of The University of North Carolina at Greensboro with a degree in Business Administration focused on Human Resources, Jermeka combines technical expertise with strong communication and relationship-building skills. She attributes much of her success to her self-driven mindset, persistence, and willingness to continuously learn and adapt in a fast-changing technology environment. As a woman in IT, she is passionate about encouraging others to trust their knowledge, advocate for themselves, and confidently pursue opportunities in the field. Guided by values of loyalty, honesty, and compassion, she approaches both her professional and personal life with integrity and a commitment to helping others solve problems and succeed.
Her Interview
Ten minutes with Jermeka
01What do you attribute your success to?
I would attribute my success to having a go-getter mindset. I do not come from a family that handed me anything. I didn't have rich parents in college that could send me money every week like some of my friends, so I've just always had this mindset that if you want it, you have to go for it yourself. And if you're going to go for it, give it your all, give it your best. That mindset has kept me moving forward in my EDI career, even with shifting jobs. There's always something more out there for you, there's always a new challenge, something that's going to bring more to the table, and I'm always open to just going after it, no matter how challenging, how scary it may seem. I like to put myself out there, because if I don't go for it, no one's going to take care of me, no one's coming to save me. I have to make sure that I'm always in charge of my destiny.
02What’s the best career advice you’ve ever received?
The best career advice I've received is to always follow your heart and your intuition. If it's something you really want, go for it. Don't be afraid to speak up. Even with my current company, if there's any type of certification or class that I want to take and get more involved with, they're willing to pay for it. I've been encouraged to go after whatever it is I think I want. Even if I can't get it right away, don't be afraid to at least ask. Closed mouths do not get fed. You miss 100% of the shots you don't make.
03What advice would you give to young women entering your industry?
The advice I would give is own your stuff, know your stuff, never let anyone second-guess you, or make you second-guess yourself. If you make it into the IT field, you made it there because you belong. Do not feel like you're out of place, do not feel like you're not as strong of an asset to the company. Always believe in yourself. That is the biggest thing I can say, because it takes a lot of confidence to work in IT as a female, especially if you're younger coming in. Women in general can easily be intimidated, especially in a male-dominated industry, so just know you belong just like they do.
04What are the biggest challenges or opportunities in your field right now?
One of my biggest challenges has always been that I work in a predominantly male-oriented industy. Not to mention I am young compared to my counterparts, so there is always an initial unspoken trust issue. However, once I show my credibility, begin helping solve problems, and exemplify my 14 years of expertise via cross-functional collaboration, the trust is gained and I become the number 1 go-to for EDI issues. As for opportunities, in EDI, the opportunity is limitless to me. There's always a demand for an EDI analyst because EDI speeds up the order life cycle for large businesses. It is is one of the most vital positions in every big organization. Because there are not a lot of people in this field who have experience, or even know what EDI is, I feel like it's a niche field. There's always someone looking to hire an EDI analyst, yet there are not a lot of credible candidates in this field. So I think the opportunity for me is just being a rare commodity.
05What values are most important to you in your work and personal life?
Number one is loyalty. We cannot get anywhere if we cannot trust each other. That's in the workplace, with friends, family, etc. Every type of relationship requires loyalty to work. As the saying goes, a relationship with no trust is like a car with no gas. You'regoing nowhere. So that is one of my biggest values. Also, compassion. We are all human. We all need help sometimes, we sometimes need guidance, and the last thing you need is someone judging you, putting you down, or discouraging you. This is why I take pride in having compassion for people. My third third biggest value would probably be honesty. Again, I cannot trust you if you cannot be truthful with me. I cannot help you achieve your goal or resolve your problem if you're not telling me the full story or you're not being truthful. So loyalty, compassion, and honesty are my three.
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