2024 Top Women in Grocery: Rising Stars, Part 2

Kristen Hoh

Director, Commercial Insights Acceleration, The Kroger Co./84.51°

• Hoh led a center of excellence that leveraged the company’s commercial portfolio to meet client needs spanning from pitch to delivery.
• She built the new Commercial Insights Acceleration center of excellence, onboarding the team, establishing processes, leading the effort to increase the sales success rate of custom analytics and research projects by 30%, and testing and scaling a custom solution that created a $1 million-plus revenue stream.
• Hoh was chosen as 84.51°’s representative for the Cincinnati Chamber’s C-Change Class, a premier leadership development and community volunteer program with the aim of advancing mid-career leaders. 

Selma Dizdarevic

End-2-End Produce Division Sustainment Manager, The Kroger Co./Atlanta Division

• In a special appointment from division leadership, Dizdarevic worked to ensure that Kroger had“fresher than fresh” produce for customers of 176 produce departments across three states.
• She steered her division to achieve identical sales 138 basis points ahead of budget and 395 basis points better than the company average; the group also exceeded gross-profit targets in produce by 17 basis points.
• Dizdarevic participated in the Young Professionals associate resource group; additionally, she proudly gained U.S. citizenship in 2023 after 23 years in this country and helped others to study for the citizenship exam.

Desiree Loomis

Division E-Commerce Manager, The Kroger Co./Central Division

• Loomis headed up all e-commerce operations to increase sales and improve profitability for the Central division across 109 pickup locations, and she also coached and trained store teams.
• Her division was one of the leading regions in pickup sales, following her push to increase orders per hour and the opening of 11 net new locations; she converted all stores to managing by pieces versus the traditional orders per hour, spurring a 17.6% increase in sales and a 10.4% lift in orders.
• Outside of her job, Loomis participated in the Young Professionals associate resource group and, out in the community,  volunteered for The Salvation Army and Indy Urban Acres.

Amber Bashaw 

Customer Experience and Financial Products Division Manager, The Kroger Co./Cincinnati Division 

• Bashaw oversaw personal finance for the division and ensured that front end processes, operations and protocols were run efficiently within 103 stores.
• She and her team tested several front end pilots, including training, certifications and new equipment that eventually would be rolled out enterprise-wide; she also increased the front end’s Friendly score by 23 points, decreased checkout wait times by 17 seconds and led her group to hold the No. 1 position in gift card sales across the enterprise. 
• Despite her demanding work schedule, Bashaw co-chaired the division’s Young Professionals associate resource group and volunteered for a local food bank in Cincinnati. 

Shelly Flynn

Pharmacy Practice Coordinator, The Kroger Co./Cincinnati Division

• A 33-year Kroger team member who has been in her current role for 18 years, Flynn championed the strategies of 20 pharmacies within the division and also supported The Little Clinic locations within her scope of stores.   
• She and her team sold more than 4 million prescriptions and administered 65,000-plus vaccines, making them tops in their division for vaccine-to-goal percent; she also rolled out a simplification pilot to streamline pharmacy procedures.
• A member of the Ohio Pharmacists Association and the American Pharmacists Association, Flynn was involved with several Kroger community events and also enjoyed coaching her daughter’s sports teams. 

Beth Wilkin

Customer Communications Manager, The Kroger Co./Columbus Division

• A 35-year grocery industry veteran, Wilkin oversaw all customer-facing marketing; managed and executed sports marketing and community partnerships, deliverables and activations; and developed and cultivated relationships across the division’s footprint. 
• She oversaw 15 grand reopening events last year and 18 this year; she also planned the store leader meeting in 2023 and organized the Division Holiday Store Walk held over three days in two markets. 
• Wilkin served on the board of a local food bank and ministry, represented her peers on Kroger’s Customer Communications Manager Council, and participated in the grocer’s veterans associate resource group.

Tammie Young-Ennaemba

Corporate Affairs Manager, The Kroger Co./Corporate Affairs

• Responsible for corporate affairs efforts for the division, Young-Ennaemba oversaw external communications, government relations, internal communications, video production and community outreach. 
• Her division’s Zero Hunger | Zero Waste program experienced a 23% year-over-year increase in food rescue; she also helped lead a volunteer day at a local food bank, worked with the American Diabetes Association to create a road show on diabetes-friendly cooking and collaborated with local officials to educate Kroger associates on the civil rights movement. 
• Young-Ennaemba served on the boards of Must Ministries and Caring for Others and volunteered at various nonprofits.

Nichole Miller

District Human Resources Leader, The Kroger Co./Dillons Division

• In addition to providing general human resources support, Miller focused on coaching, upskilling and influencing store leadership teams to support and enable key aspects of the associate experience.
• Miller improved retention scores by 9%, surpassing her district retention goal; increased the District 3 associate insight participation score by 21%; and helped increase the District 3 composite score by 18%.
• Known to many as an influencer, a problem solver and a motivator, Miller partnered with area colleges and military bases to seek out career fairs, find the best new talent and form lasting relationships; she and her fiance also run a nonpofit helping kids.

Rhonda Allen

Controller, The Kroger Co./Finance

• With 29 years at Kroger, Allen pioneered a joint venture to expedite the loading of assets into the company’s systems, which helped maintain operational continuity and set a precedent that was adopted across other shared services accounting centers.
• When the company’s check processor suddenly closed, she orchestrated a cross-functional effort to establish a new end-to-end check process that was executed with minimal disruptions to store operations.
• As a 2023 graduate of the Cincinnati Chamber of Commerce Power Squad, Allen honed her leadership skills and positioned herself as an influential figure committed to driving positive change in her city.

Amanda McDowell

Controller, The Kroger Co./Finance

• This year, McDowell drove accounts payable results to unprecedented levels; under her guidance, vendor correspondence times were halved, with her team consistently responding within 14 days, far surpassing the 30-day service-level agreement. 
• Her ongoing collaboration with The Little Clinic teams resulted in the standardization and streamlining of processes, aligning them with enterprise standards.
• McDowell co-founded the nonprofit organization Train Them Up, which addresses a unique community need by helping individuals, from teens to adults, afford extracurricular activities through community service, thereby instilling the importance of giving back.

Desiree Sova

Senior Strategic Sourcing Category Management Manager, The Kroger Co./Finance

• Over a 24-month period, Sova’s cross-functional team embarked on a mission to evaluate the impact of reducing or eliminating circular distribution in select markets; through rigorous data analytics and a test-and-learn approach, they discovered new reinvestment opportunities, culminating in $72 million in value for Kroger.
• In FY23, her team outperformed its target by securing $95 million in savings against a $70 million goal.
• Sova was invited to the World Procurement Congress in London, where she networked with industry leaders and engaged with key topics such as purpose, growth and opportunity.

Chandler Hodges

Center Store Sales Manager, The Kroger Co./Fred Meyer Division

• Hodges worked closely with the merchandising team to put together a solid marketing plan, and skillfully analyzed sales trends and historical data to help make smart choices.
• One of her major achievements was creating a new strategy playbook, which was then used across the Kroger organization; this strategy focused on improving product selection and placement to make shopping better for customers while also increasing sales. 
• Hodges was a board member of Karts for Kids, in support of the neonatal intensive care unit Randall Children’s Hospital, and arranged donations for breast cancer organization Pink Sistas.

Pam Giannonatti

Corporate Affairs Manager, The Kroger Co./Fry’s Division

Giannonatti brought the corporate affairs strategy to life at Fry’s by looking for ways to elevate the grocer’s unique story and drive the Zero Hunger | Zero Waste social impact plan.

• She met with Arizona Gov. Katie Hobbs and legislators to share Fry’s important work in this space, and also facilitated Fry’s first press conference with the Maricopa County Attorney’s Office, government officials and major retailers to discuss plans to combat organized retail theft.
• Giannonatti was honored as a Game Changer by the American Cancer Society, a designation that recognizes leaders who provide outstanding support in the fight against cancer.

Daniella Lerma

Multicultural Food Specialist, The Kroger Co./Fry’s Division

• Fry’s most seasoned associate in the multicultural food space, Lerma served as the division expert in the local multicultural competitive landscape, merchandising trends, pricing and assortment, and provided necessary feedback to division and corporate merchandising.
• Last year, under Lerma’s leadership, customers voted Fry’s the No. 1 kosher store in Phoenix and the No. 2 kosher store in Arizona; Fry’s was also the leader in Hatch chile sales across the enterprise under her guidance.
• Lerma successfully completed the FMI Coach Certificate Program to enhance her leadership skills and knowledge in the food retail space and also found time to mentor 15 associates.

Julie Kalua

Service Owner II, The Kroger Co./Human Resources

• Kalua was responsible for the technology support provided to all of Kroger and focused on building strategic relationships with technology and business partners.
• She led the rollout of a streamlined experience for associates seeking support for their in-store technology needs, and guided the development of an automated system for generating support tickets, significantly cutting down on wait times.
• Kalua independently set up a team-wide event to fill food boxes for her local food bank; she also spent time camping on the Oregon coast and gave back to the community by working with the Solve beach cleanup group there every spring.

Morgan Manor

Talent Management Partner, The Kroger Co./Human Resources

• Manor was responsible for leading all aspects of the talent lifecycle in partnership with the business unit human resource teams, and she led the conversion of the talent management system for the total organization.
• Her efforts in HR systems led to an improved experience for associates and had a significant impact on Kroger’s talent strategy; following the implementation of the solution, the company achieved its highest-ever completion percentage, thanks to the system simplification and time savings that she deployed.
• Manor was one of just a few high-potential HR professionals selected by Kroger to attend the 2023 SHRM conference.

Stacy Thomasson

District Operations Specialist, The Kroger Co./King Soopers Division

• Thomasson drove labor results, oversaw food safety and led the successful rollout of company initiatives across 16 store locations, including three 124,000-square-foot Marketplace format stores
• Her leadership and insight propelled her district to unparalleled success, with notable achievements in food safety goals, labor effectiveness goals, replenishment goals, pickup fill rates and out-of-stock goals.
• Thomasson played a crucial part in implementing MyTime, a system designed to enhance transparency, efficiency and agility in supporting associates with core HR, payroll, scheduling, and time and attendance needs.

Ashley Collins

Product Management Group Manager, The Kroger Co./Kroger Technology & Digital (KTD)

• Collins championed the delivery of SNAP tender acceptance for e-commerce orders seven periods ahead of plan, resulting in 50,000 households new to Kroger engaging with the offering, and beating revenue forecast for the year by $55 million-plus.
• She led cross-functional data collection and analysis to determine the net impact of enabling contactless payments in store, and the capability was launched enterprise-wide, immediately gaining traction with customers.
• A member of KTD Kulture, which focuses on creating and supporting an engaging culture in her division, Collins also mentored company interns.

Pheli Roberts

Division Health and Wellness Leader, The Kroger Co./Louisville Division

• Roberts managed the operational and clinical practices for 94 pharmacies within the Kroger Pharmacy Louisville division.
• Her pharmacies saw sales increase 7.5% over the prior year, and her commitment to leadership development was proved by an 8% increase in lead technicians in her division versus the previous year.
• Roberts and her team helped promote awareness in the community to achieve a 405% increase in everyday vaccine administration versus the previous year, while outreach to business-to-business clients for vaccination clinics increased by an astonishing 700%.

Caroline Keating

Corporate Category Manager, The Kroger Co./Merchandising

• Keating led the way to optimizing assortment and aisle flow, generating $39.2 million in sales growth; she partnered with data science teams to pilot a new assortment optimization platform, which resulted in 6% retail sales growth across her categories.
• She and her team employed item and customer behavioral data to optimize promotional strategies, creating efficiencies at store level while improving total promotional sales and margins.
• As part of her dedication to health-and-wellness advocacy as a heart disease thriver, Keating was the Heart Mini Walk company leader and an advocate for the American Heart Association.

Angela Rinker

Floral Field Specialist, The Kroger Co./QFC Division

• As QFC’s only floral field specialist, Rinker oversaw all 59 floral shops in the division, and her leadership helped drive a floral sales increase at QFC that was double that of the total company’s floral sales.
• She drove bunch sales by highlighting Gerbera daisies, an initiative tha involved working with local suppliers to procure quality product, encouraging incremental displays and communicating her goals with floral leaders.
• Rinker’s passion for showcasing her team’s abilities in the annual Seattle Wedding Show was called “legendary” by her nominator; this passion led her to elevate grocery floral as an affordable option for weddings.

Amy Petersen

Customer Experience and Financial Products Manager, The Kroger Co./Smith’s Division

• Petersen achieved exceptional results in front end friendliness and wait time, surpassing company goals; she credited this success to her “owning the front end experience” training program, which she personally developed and implemented across the Smith’s division.
• She played a pivotal role in reducing plastic bag usage and thereby fulfilling company goals; through her efforts on a dedicated committee, she successfully piloted the elimination of single-use plastic bags in one store within her division.
• Petersen spearheaded partnerships to organize such events as the Best Bagger Contest.

Marlana Embry

Supply Chain Account Manager, The Kroger Co./Supply Chain

• Embry collaborated with Kroger’s Houston and Dallas divisions to organize Big K customer sampling events to boost market share and sales; she secured funding and worked closely with division grocery field merchandisers to make sure that the events were executed seamlessly.
• She leveraged her leadership experience in the Pacific Northwest to spearhead a cross-functional team that crafted a comprehensive Hurricane Water Shortage Plan for 2023 in the Southwest; the team successfully pre-positioned water supplies at stores to meet demand.
• Embry is a member of Kroger’s EDGE associate resource group in Dallas.

Shelley Welch

Manufacturing Plant Site Leader, The Kroger Co./Supply Chain

• Welch led her team to achieve 730 consecutive days without an OSHA-recordable incident in the Anderson Bakery (her assigned site); her leadership also earned the team an Eagle Award for outstanding quality and safety audit scores and a reduction in customer complaints.
• Under her guidance, customer comments decreased by 38.05%; she attributed this to her empowerment of production floor associates, as well as the addition of a lab technician and the implementation of product scoring.
• Welch expanded the business by fostering better communication with customers and vendors through regular meetings and store checks.

Jessica Desormo

HR Director of Talent Management, Lidl US

• Desormo launched a biannual talent management process to foster a culture of continuous feedback.
• She established an in-house recording studio to streamline e-learning content creation and enhance content quality.
• Desormo introduced the Store Manager Development Initiative, which nurtured the leadership skills of more than 170 store managers across the organization, and she also oversaw the successful launch of a new career path website offering visual roadmaps for career development to all employees; all of this work helped her and her team earn recognition at the 2023 Brandon Hall Group HCM Excellence Awards.

Stephanie Harry

Director of Human Resources, Lidl US

• Harry spearheaded Lidl’s diversity, equity and inclusion efforts, which culminated in company-wide celebrations of national heritage months and Lidl’s inaugural participation in the D.C. Capital Pride parade.
• She championed the implementation of a new anniversary program that asked employees to select a personalized gift in recognition of milestone anniversaries; she and her team additionally introduced new monthly events to celebrate Lidl’s diverse workforce.
• Despite the challenges of cost optimization, Harry demonstrated exceptional leadership by reducing spending within the talent acquisition department by 25% compared with prior years.

Jacy Stewart

Director of Sales Operations, Lidl US

• Stewart’s background as both a district manager and consultant for Lidl’s purchasing department prepared her well for her current role: Her strategic vision and hands-on approach facilitated the successful opening of three new stores in the past year.
• She committed to fostering a positive work environment and prioritized team stability while actively cultivating a culture of inclusivity and collaboration within her stores.
• Stewart and her team participated in local initiatives in the community, such as a partnership with Backpacks of Love.

Sherrie Johnson

Host Experience Generalist, Lowes Foods

• Johnson met one of her group’s goals for 2023, when employee turnover in the two divisions she oversaw improved by an average 14 percentage points; she did this in part by conducting turnover-centric discussions with management at several stores.
• She led her peers in the organization and coordination of the company’s internal career fairs, which drove its talent pipeline; ultimately, due to her efforts, 25 people were promoted to new leadership positions.
• Johnson participated in a company leadership development program to further her career.

Hillary Kriner

Division Director, Lowes Foods

• Kriner delivered positive results in fiscal 2023, outperforming the budget by 1.10%; through the first five months of fiscal 2024, her district delivered the highest positive sales trends in the company.
• The 14 stores she oversaw consistently achieved high performance metrics, including exceptional scores in food safety audits and mystery-shop ratings.
• Among her achievements, Kriner developed and implemented comprehensive standard operating procedures for cleaning processes within stores, significantly improving efficiency and effectiveness.

Jackie Adams

Director, Benefits and People Analytics, Meijer

• Under Adams’ leadership, Meijer saw a remarkable surge in the use of mental health resources: In 2023, the adoption of virtual therapy offered through its employee assistance program grew by 90%, while face-to-face therapy saw a 300% increase.
• She proposed rewarding employees who made smart health choices with more modest premium costs; this reduced health care spending from 2022 by more than $200 million.
• Adams redirected the focus to thoughtful employee recognition without a financial component, and turnover kept declining.

Leah Brown

Market Director, Meijer

• The market that Brown oversaw, which included 12 stores, was No. 1 in the company for both net promoter score and on-shelf availability; she also reached No. 1 in food sanitation, ending the year with overall operational excellence.
• Her market also led the company in turnover rates, with a nearly 15% improvement from the prior year, as well as being almost 10% ahead of the next market.
• Brown accepted the Community Spotlight Award for her market in recognition of the work that its leaders did within their communities, specifically the partnerships built and grown within the Flint, Mich., community; she has since started similar partnerships in neighboring Saginaw.

Rachel Fearnley

Talent Acquisition Manager, Meijer

• Fearnley proactively addressed employee relations issues, managed grievances and ensured compliance with internal policies, which resulted in a reduction of 6.4 basis points in turnover and an increase of 1.3 basis points in 90-day retention.
• Using a proactive recruitment approach, she led the recruitment team to achieve its hiring goals for key leadership positions, while also securing exceptional talent.
• Fearnley led process improvements such as implementing programmatic ad vendors, which doubled the application flow for distribution centers, and piloting an automatic interview scheduling tool for hourly distribution that resulted in a 35% time savings in administrative tasks.

Carla Hendon

Director, Indirect Procurement and Supplier Inclusion, Meijer

• Hendon and her team launched a three-tiered local vendor inclusion program showcasing retail requirements, vendor onboarding support and a marketing framework for vendors to create, monitor and assess their brand awareness strategies. 
• She exceeded her annual savings goal by 16% while also exceeding brand growth goals; part of this growth came from a new supplier relationship management program she launched to minimize risk and optimize vendor performance and capabilities.
• Hendon receivedthe Diversity Focused Company award from Corp! magazine/MichBusiness; she was involved in numerous committees outside of Meijer.

Kaitlyn McGahan

Inventory Manager, Meijer

• McGahan helped reset standards and expectations on processes and adopted new tools and resources to launch a new sales forecasting system that improved product availability by more than 500 basis points, increased turns by 4% and reduced backroom inventory.
• She helped launch a pilot program for the dry grocery team that helped employees understand motivators and ways of interacting with others; this pilot is now being used with the Meijer grocery leadership team.
• McGahan led the coordination of quarterly volunteer events for the dry grocery division, which included work with organizations such as Kids Food Basket, In the Image and Meals on Wheels.

Elizabeth Miling

Director of Merchandising, Toys and Sporting Goods, Meijer

• Miling collaborated with Meijer’s supplier diversity program to host two Beauty Supplier Summits, providing merchant insights to emerging brands and building a greater pipeline of minority- and women-owned suppliers.
• She and her team launched a new Lego in-store experience leading to 50% top-line growth and significant market share gains with the globally recognized brand; also, through her leadership, Meijer introduced the new Thrifty Shop strategy featuring items close to the entrances to drive impulse and value.
• Miling’s team delivered a strong 2023 holiday season with increased profitability, faster inventory turns and a best-in-class customer experience.

Nirmita Muzumdar

IT Manager — Customer 360 Data and Marketing Techology Development, Meijer

• Muzumdar was instrumental in the tech aspects of Meijer’s retail media network, which accelerated Meijer’s ability to further personalize the customer’s digital experience, as well as monetize the data and grow business.
• Her efforts at managing customer data were crucial in enabling Meijer to understand customer behavior and preferences across active customer records, and to tailor offerings and services to better meet customer needs; at the same time, she ensured that customer data was handled in compliance with privacy standards.
• Muzumdar volunteered at her community’s Kids Food Basket and mentored girls in local STEM camps and competitions.

Kim Prall

Market Director, Meijer

• In a 13-week time frame, Prall helped reduce turnover in the Dayton, Ohio, market from 103.6% — the worst turnover in the region — to 73.4%, the best improvement in the region for the fiscal year.
• As part of her implementation of Medallia as a key indicator of customer service satisfaction, she trained her team to interpret verbatim results, respond to customer concerns and compliments, and take immediate action for correction as needed; her market’s net promoter score ended more than three points above target, resulting in an overall market share increase.
• Prall partnered with the Junior Achievement organization to promote job education and training, and she volunteered at the Oxford Women’s Care Center.

Kristine Snook

HR Director, North/West Michigan, Meijer

• Snook and her team partnered with a local independent school district agency to create the EmpowerU curriculum and job-training program for people with disabilities; this past year, the program, run from a classroom in one store location, had 11 students. 
• She led her team to drive retention across the region, which resulted in a 6.4% decrease (almost 700 more team members) versus the previous year and led to significant savings in hiring, onboarding and training costs. 
• Snook integrated community partnerships and service in her team’s region and partnered with a range of local nonprofits, including KentISD, Arbor Circle, Mel Trotter Ministries and Kids Food Basket.

Lauren Tomasbi

Senior Quality and Food Safety Manager-Prepared Foods, Meijer

• Tomasbi standardized the shelf life of ready-to-eat frozen cookie dough from six shelf dates to one, improving scheduling processes at the plant level, as well as product flow from the distribution centers to the stores, and from the stores to the customer.
• She worked with sanitation departments and a sanitation chemical company to improve the effectiveness and efficiency of sanitation practices, which led to the discovery and elimination of 20-plus areas of environmental concern in manufacturing sites.
• Tomasbi’s direct and indirect reports scored 10% higher than the rest of the company in employee satisfaction scores — a testament to her commitment to developing her team for success.

Arlena Joyner

Retail Marketing Manager, NCR Voyix

• Joyner orchestrated the premier North American trade show targeting the independent grocery market and secured a 200% increase in qualified leads from the prior year.
• As the 135-year-old company split into two new entities, she played a key role in ensuring a seamless transition; her strategic insights and retail perspective in brand development were crucial during this transformative phase.
• Despite her demanding work schedule, Joyner sat on the board of Peachtree Football Club, a grass-roots soccer organization in Atlanta that partnered with sports nonprofit organizations targeting children in underserved communities.

Drea Starch

Senior Director of Retail Sales, Niman Ranch

• Starch placed 11 new packaged items in traditional retail across California, lifting Niman Ranch’s presence in traditional retail by 35% to 40%; the placements included nine Niman Ranch packaged items in Safeway in Northern California and two new packaged items in Vons and Albertsons across Southern California.
• She placed three additional Niman Ranch prepared products and the company’s new exclusive premium Iberian Duroc fresh pork program behind the glass at all Whole Foods Market locations across the country.
• Starch additionally helped lead the development of an online mentorship platform for women to network, support and educate one another.

Jacquelyn Marchesiello

Director, Financial Planning and Analysis, Northeast Grocery Inc., parent company of Northeast Shared Services, Tops Supermarkets and Price Chopper/Market 32 Supermarkets

• Marchesiello designed the company’s conformed internal financial reporting, which showed individual operating company and total company results in a clear and consistent manner.
• Through her support of the CFO and other executives in preparing ratings agency and lender presentations, she played an important role in refinancing the majority of the company’s debt portion of its capital structure through the issuance of a $550 million term loan.
• Marchesiello worked with the United Way of the Greater Capital Region (Albany, N.Y.) and with Girls on the Run.

Catherine Davis

Senior Analyst, Front End Shopper Strategy and Insights, PepsiCo

• Davis managed the Circana front end model, which was leveraged for retailer- specific insights, and launched Circana Genius capability to further customize retailer presentations; these efforts drove a 35% increase in ront end model users, and a 457% leap in unique reports versus the prior year.
• She drove deeper understanding of front end shopper behavior by leading planogram development for virtual-reality research through collaboration with PepsiCo sales strategy leadership, PepsiCo’s research vendor partner and other key front end stakeholders.
• Davis was the Gen Z shopper strategy subject-matter expert and co-led the Gen Z Shopper Insights Forum.

Amelia Bly

Human Resources Business Partner, Price Chopper/Market 32 Supermarkets, Division of Northeast Grocery

• Bly not only played an instrumental role in the acquisition of four ShopRite locations in New York state’s Capital District, she also selectively recruited close to 100 workers who lost their positions as a result of the acquisition and developed training and integration plans for each new hire to ease assimilation into the company.
• She worked with labor counsel to conduct highly successful pro-teammate training across the entire chain to better prepare managers and proactively support teammates.
• Bly trained three new staffing and development professionals and actively developed her zone staffing coordinators.

Nicole Katz

Director, Financial Planning and Analysis, Price Chopper/Market 32 Supermarkets, Division of Northeast Grocery

• To promote better cross-functional collaboration across the operating company and create enhanced visibility, transparency and accountability, Katz established leadership meetings for all EVPs and director-level team members and created presentations focused on recent profitability results and other key performance indicators.
• She created a comprehensive and dynamic financial forecasting process by working collaboratively with various business leadership members.
• Katz assembled projections that guided negotiations and ultimately led to the successful acquisition of the store leases and assets of a major competitor.

Susan Lambert

Regional Human Resources Manager, Price Chopper/Market 32 Supermarkets, Division of Northeast Grocery

• Working with counsel and several departments, Lambert updated employment policies to ensure changes were legal and effectively communicated and implemented; she also relaunched the Top-5 program, which identifies high-potential part-time employees, tracking the 650 people identified and reporting on their progress.
• She helped develop her HR teammates, mentoring them and sharing her 16 years of experience; all six of her teammates were either new to HR or promoted to higher positions. 
• Lambert’s efforts were recognized by the company with the presentation of the Master Mentor award in May 2023.

Kelly O’Neill-DiCarmine

Director of Design and Construction, Price Chopper/Market 32 Supermarkets, Division of Northeast Grocery

• O’Neill-DiCarmine’s team remodeled seven Price Chopper locations to the Market 32 bannner, about double the normal output, delivering projects on time and under budget despite equipment uncertainties and delays; she has eight additional remodels under construction, slated to open by summer’s end.
• She created the Mill Shop team to produce fixtures and cabinets in-house, saving the company significant money while letting it merchandise products to its own standards.
• O’Neill-DiCarmine held leadership roles on the board of governors for the Empire State College Alumni Federation.

Alicia Ramirez

Operations Project Manager, Price Chopper/Market 32 Supermarkets, Division of Northeast Grocery

• Ramirez integrated a new UKG time, attendance and scheduling system using the retailer’s existing enterprise sales and labor projection system for store teams, and she also planned the rollout and training.
• She developed processes to divert organic waste from landfills to composting, which resulted in the diversion of almost 2.5 million pounds of waste; the retailer’s trade partner converted the waste into electricity.
• Additionally, Ramirez actively participated in the company’s affinity group that developed criteria for creating a better workplace; this included such measures as making diversity and inclusion imperative.

Miranda Siek

Zone Director, Price Chopper/Market 32 Supermarkets, Division of Northeast Grocery

• In addition to overseeing 16 stores, Siek was responsible for the central commissary, which over the past year expanded offerings and the number of stores it served; when stores started being served by the commissary, they experienced a 30% sales increase on commissary items, while shrink was reduced by two-thirds. 
• She oversaw two newly remodeled Market 32 stores, both renovated in less than 24 hours, while she managed day-to-day operations at her 16 stores.
• Siek coached youth sports in her time away from work; further, as a devotee of personal fitness, she enjoyed competing in Cross-Fit, playing basketball and being active outdoors.

Kathy Pack

Category Senior Analyst and Specialist, North America Market Operations, Procter & Gamble

• Instrumental in the category management team’s success, Pack facilitated more than 20 post-reset analyses; these analyses processed 75 million data points, saving thousands of hours by streamlining and automating manual tasks.
• Her guidance provided crucial insights into the impact of category changes, assortment modifications and promotional strategies; by meticulously collecting, interpreting and analyzing data, she empowered the team to identify growth opportunities and fine-tune strategies. 
• A member of the Green Township Police Citizens Academy Alumni, Pack took part in events supporting the community.

Lina Gonzalez

Director of Operations, Product Connections

• Gonzalez successfully expanded the Target Adult Beverage Program to 190 stores in 10 states, resulting in 34% store count growth, 40% revenue growth, 83% growth in event count, and a more than 539% sales lift for Product Connections and adult beverage brands; she also recruited, onboarded and trained more than 600 brand ambassadors to take over new markets.
• In Florida, Gonzalez launched BJ’s Roadshow demo; this enabled Product Connections to expand the Roadshow nationwide in 2024.
• For the past decade, Gonzalez has mentored and trained students majoring in business at EIA University in her hometown of Medellín, Columbia.

Anne Schnabel

Senior Key Account Manager, Red Bull North America

• Schnabel met both Red Bull’s and its customers’ priorities through customized promotions, pricing and display programs at Meijer, Giant Eagle and Wegmans; these initiatives maximized sales and fulfilled shoppers’ needs, allowing her to maintain a position at the top of Red Bull’s internal large-format leaderboard.
• At Meijer, she executed a Galloping After the Home Stretch campaign coinciding with the Kentucky Derby, as well as managing a front end/checklane expansion involving more than 48,000 Red Bull facings across the grocer’s stores. 
• Schnabel won Red Bull North America’s 2023 grocery incentive for leading SKU distribution, brand equity excellence and multipack volume growth. 

Kellie Weckstein

Director Category Development, Red Bull North America

• Weckstein was instrumental in having a “pulse lead” on brand performance; she was a key influencer in getting a retailer to change promotional strategy in support of developing the business, and she also had an impact on her customer’s reimagining of the front of store. 
• Through her leadership and dedication, she was able to demonstrate to the retailer the value of the energy category, leading to its expansion in more than 1,000 stores. 
• Weckstein led a guest lecture and semester project involving analytics with a leading university; throughout the semester, students were provided with data, developed business plans, and presented information back to her and her team.

Kirby Saito

Senior Director of Business Development, Fresh Creative Foods, Reser’s Fine Foods

• Saito and her team achieved top sales and contribution increases; she built programs that bundled items, creating better offerings for customers; and she developed customer sales contests that had 100% participation and a 31% lift during contest periods. 
• As a member of the business technology steering committee, she helped implement a new generation of technology; she also developed the company’s entire fresh meal concept.
• Saito championed initiatives aimed at empowering women, among them spearheading Reser’s participation with NextUp, which works toward gender equality in the workplace; to that end, she led a group at NextUp’s annual conference. 

Mary Nathan

Creative Director, Rouses Markets

• Leading Rouses’ in-house creative team, Nathan opened three stores in Louisiana, overseeing broadcast media, public relations and garnering $100,000 in paid media, and she coined the name for Rouses’ first-ever drive-thru, Houma de Chicken (Home of the Chicken), in Houma, La.
• Nathan was instrumental in developing vendor programs, which generated $1.5 million, and she also ran Rouses’ Pop Ups, which provided products not sold in stores to customers; the mostly women vendors sell directly to consumers and keep 100% of sales.
• Nathan was the 2024 recipient of an award from the Women Grocers of America.

Elise Agne

IT Data Engineer-Data Insights, Save A Lot

• Having joined the company in 2022, Agne established a firm grip on the continuity of sales for the independent licensee network; even though collecting data from independent store owners could be challenging, Agne’s technical proficiency and dedication resulted in limited downtime and more than 99% data availability network-wide.
• Data engineering patterns were migrated to a new codebase and pattern this past year, and Agne, never afraid to ask questions, was able to learn and begin implementing the pattern — a credit to an engineer in the early stages of her career.
• In June 2022, Agne received Save A Lot’s Core Value Award for Simplicity.

Julie Hoff

Director Outbound Transportation, Save A Lot

• Hoff’s ability to build relationships with transportation carriers benefited Save A Lot and its retail partners: When a fleet partner was involved a truck collision and damaged a store, her relationship with both parties enabled her to manage the situation effectively. 
• By encouraging and mentoring her team, she helped Save A Lot finish the year 97% on time; making this number even more impressive is that it came during a major transition time for the company as it closed two distribution centers (DCs).
• Huff was instrumental in maintaining asset levels while increasing the DC-to-store average mileage to 18%, as a result of network consolidation.

Rebecca Knipp

Logistics Manager, Save A Lot

• Knipp, who has since left the company, maintained good relationships with many people in the support center, including distribution, IT, supply chain, HR and accounting; this assured that processes functioned correctly and that product was delivered on time.
• She went above and beyond to help others, taking calls after hours and answering emails on weekends so that Save A Lot partners could run stores properly; when a reefer unit failed in transit and was damaged, she responded quickly, repicking the perishable portion of the load and making the delivery later the same day.
• Knipp volunteered with United Way and the C&O Canal Trust. 

Kathy Lessmann

IT Principal Data Management Specialist, Save A Lot

• Colleagues at Save A Lot knew they could count on Lessmann when it came to data: She broke problems down into realistic solutions and provided guidance to others as they worked through their challenges.
• A 25-year IT veteran, she spearheaded efforts with novel technologies to provide the finance team with a financing planning power app, resulting in a dramatically improved forecast procedure; she also provided accounting with automated connections to Oracle data, eliminating hours of manual spreadsheet work.
• Every month, Lessmann volunteered 20 hours at the Saint Vincent de Paul Society.

Mindy Morse

Supply Chain Planner, Save A Lot

• When Morse took over dairy this year, she helped train and mentor the person who stepped into her previous role.
• She established a collaborative and productive partnership with her category manager; together, they worked to overcome industry production hurdles to get the best outcome for customers.
• Morse took the lead on the Red Dot egg promotion; historically, the team backed away from promoting eggs, since it was difficult to forecast the increased needs of the advertised SKUs and the depth and timing of the cannibalization of other SKUs in stock, but she was able to supply the ad with zero shorts during the ad window, and zero shrink on the back end.

Diane O’Shaughnessy

Senior Accountant, Save A Lot

• O’Shaughnessy was diligent about tracking and resolving problems quickly; when a transportation vendor didn’t receive a timely payment, she quickly learned that internal scanning software wasn’t picking up invoices for processing, so she worked with the IT team to expedite a solution.
• She volunteered to lead the state dated-check and enhancement process as it was transitioned to accounts payable, implementing a more efficient way to process payments faster. 
• O’Shaughnessy helped out at Habitat for Humanity, Ronald McDonald House and PALS-Pets-A-Lone Sanctuary, and she regularly volunteered for Save A Lot’s charitable endeavors.

Ashley Parle

Marketing Business Partner-Field Support, Save A Lot

• Parle helped onboard numerous new retail partners, spending hours helping to build marketing plans that fit within budgets and ensuring that Save A Lot understood all market options; she also helped build grand-reopening plans for partners that remodeled their stores.
• She maximized the spend of retail partners, helping them navigate the world of rising print costs and increased competition, and she helped educate them on the constantly evolving landscape of digital marketing, increasing participation in recent years by record numbers.
• Parle supported the St. Louis Area Foodbank and was VP of communications on the West-ridge Elementary PTO board.

Joyce Pritt

Supply Chain Planner, Save A Lot

• Because of market volatility, Pritt had to manage multiple commitments for sugar and oil from five vendors and eight distribution centers, but the contract obligations were kept, and the transitions to new contracts were smooth.
• When Save A Lot was put on allocation of private label evaporated, sweet and condensed milk during the critical holiday season, she worked diligently with the merchandising team and vendor to source a substitute. 
• Noticing promotional pricing and cost changes in baking and spices, Pritt proceeded to place more than $475,000 of forward-buy purchase orders that resulted in a $90,000 benefit to the bottom line.

Traci Springer

Supply Chain Manager, Save A Lot

• Springer led the frozen and cooler supply chain planners; last year, her team’s service levels were 95.53% (frozen) and 96.6% (cooler), and her cooler team led the company, with an annual average of 93.95%.
• She worked as a cross-functional leader, developing a plan to navigate holiday and food show performance despite space limitations, and she helped manage a different holiday release that saw little to no negative impact to the customer while allowing distribution centers to select product in the most efficient way.
• At her church, Springer helped with charitable missions, including a coat drive and the distribution of treats and school supplies to an orphanage in Haiti.

Tara Wolfe

Human Resources Business Partner, Save A Lot

• Wolfe implemented engineered standards across the entire distribution center network, revolutionizing pay practices and creating consistency of documentation; these efforts resulted in the establishment of transparent pay practices, including such provisions as paying the highest rate when team members work in other positions.
• She hosted regular meetings with key stakeholders to address claims management effectively, demonstrating a proactive approach to risk mitigation and employee welfare.
• Wolfe fostered positive union relationships and secured key contract provisions, including annual increases within budget.

Ashley Woods

Marketing Business Partner-Brand Programs, Save A Lot

• With a limited budget, Woods was asked to drive the retailer’s social media strategy, with the goal of growing follower bases by 3%; she far exceeded this, increasing Facebook followers by 6.5%, Instagram followers by 5.4%, Twitter followers by 5.8% and TikTok followers by 8.5%.
• She was a key component of the retailer’s new Shop the Dot campaign, helping to build out and order two major sign kits to support this in-store experience, and she also shipped weekly posters to participating stores and created execution guides.
• Woods participated in the retailer’s volunteer efforts to distribute food to the Bayer YMCA, in St. Louis.

Teresa Tolentino

Head of Internal Communications, The SaveMart Cos.

• Since joining SaveMart last year, Tolentino has completely revamped the internal communications team; this included hiring talent, developing internal talent and supporting key company objectives.
• She established internal communications as the go-to team for the latest news and information; consequently, average quarterly Hub monthly page views reached 25,000, and use of quarterly focused content has resulted in a 52% year-over-year increase in articles, 111% growth in video production and a 247% increase in the use of graphics.
• Tolentino regularly volunteered with several food organizations, including Rise Against Hunger.

Allison Primo

Manager of Health and Wellness Strategy, Schnuck Markets Inc.

• A registered dietitian, Primo created and ran Schnucks’ Good For You health-and-wellness program, which has reached more than 50,000 customers; shelf tags sporting a Dietitian’s Pick logo helped shoppers find and choose healthy items, and Schnucks Rewards members saw how many Healthier Habits items they purchased on their receipts.
• Working with the American Heart Association, she piloted a Produce Rx program for high-risk customers, helping them improve produce consumption and make healthier purchases. 
• Primo also worked with a local hospital to launch Eat Healthier shopping classes at two stores.

Dawn Cianci

Customer Development Manager, Schraad Sales & Marketing

• Cianci began to have an impact on the Schraad organization and the CPG manufacturers it represents almost immediately after joining the company in January 2023: For example, she uncovered a gap in the Value Merchandisers Co. system that made two significant customers unaware of deals they were eligible for.
• She persuaded manufacturers that weren’t participating in Alliance Ad Group advertising to allocate funds to broaden their exposure across Associated Wholesale Grocers (AWG); this led to the most successful AWG results in recent years.
• Cianci worked with local retail customers to drive funding of and participation in charities.

Maddie Essman

Director of Marketing, Schwan’s Consumer Brands

• Essman oversaw Schwan’s Red Baron frozen pizza and Tony’s frozen pizza brands and businesses; in 2023, her portfolio saw a 17.6% increase in top-line revenue growth and 15.5% in bottom-line growth, while Red Baron market share increased 200 basis points to hit a 19.7% dollar share in its category.
• This past April, she and her team launched a new product, Red Baron Fully Loaded Hand Tossed Style Crust Pizza; she has a three-year pipeline of product innovation set to follow.
• The Red Baron team led by Essman was honored with the company’s Best Impact Award in November 2022.

Danielle Janiak

Senior Supervising Pharmacist, ShopRite Supermarkets Inc. (SRS)

• With responsibility for the management, performance and leadership of SRS’s pharmacy operation, Janiak led the business to a 13.3% increase in total pharmacy sales and a 24.6% increase in net profit in 2023 versus 2022.
• Further, in a tight hiring market, she received an impressive 14 percentage-point boost in her department’s Associate Engagement Index.
• Janiak was ShopRite Supermarkets’ representative within retailer cooperative Wakefern Food Corp.’s pharmacy division, in which role she partnered with other pharmacy leaders to develop marketing materials and social media strategies.

Leigh Ball

Merchandise Planning Manager, SpartanNash

• Ball co-developed an automated Pre-Planer Tool, which streamlines processes, enhances forecast accuracy and drives efficiency across SpartanNash corporate stores; she also streamlined operations and improved collaboration across teams by championing consistent standards.
• With her team of eight, she surpassed her ad fee targets by a margin of more than $400,000.
• An avid runner, Ball participated in a Winter Warrior Challenge, a fundraiser that required her to run outdoors every day in January; she also volunteered for a Healthy Kids Running series in spring and was a fundraiser for the American Cancer Society.

Dawn Bredeweg

Manager, Charitable Giving, SpartanNash

• Bredeweg launched the company’s first Associate Hardship Fund (AHF), designed to provide fast, tax-free financial aid to associates who experienced a natural disaster or unforeseen personal challenges; the fund has already donated more $75,000. 
• She orchestrated eight humanitarian aid shipments to disasters, including the Maui wildfires, in Hawaii, and California floods, for which she was honored with a Leadership in Action Award.
• Bredeweg also played a vital role in the company’s sponsorship, with Junior Achievement of the Great Michigan Lakes, of JA Finance Park to educate students about grocery careers and personal financial planning.

Jessica Derkacz

Senior Manager, Industrial Engineering, SpartanNash

• Derkacz implemented the modernization and revamping of SpartanNash’s methods for developing and checking engineering labor standards, which resulted in a 30% increase in standard checks and refreshes. 
• Other modernization efforts she directed enabled the company to streamline operations and balance planned workloads more effectively in 10 warehouses.
• She played a pivotal role in designing and executing group outings that cultivated a positive organizational culture within the engineering, maintenance and ESG organization; and she received the Golden Gear Award for her contributions to the engineering department.

Crystal Grossi

Produce Category Manager, SpartanNash

• Following her promotion to produce category manager in August 2023, Grossi spearheaded the merchandising transformation in SpartanNash’s refrigerated juice category, which included implementing a new cost policy for better transparency and vendor accountability.
• She aided in the launch of 42 new own-brand products in nuts, dried fruits and snacks, and she also played a role in executing SpartanNash’s 2023 Food Solutions Expo, which showcased supply chain and merchandising advancements.
• Grossi was selected for SpartanNash’s Propel leadership course, a program that aimed to advance the leadership skills of mid-level associates.

Kimberly Jackson

Senior Director, National Accounts, SpartanNash

• Jackson signed a contract extension with a major customer that was one of the highest-value single contracts in company history; she also played a key role in expanding a partnership with one of SpartanNash’s largest perishable customers, with plans to expand geographic collaboration in 2024 and beyond.
• She launched new health and beauty care partnerships with a segment of the military, as well as with a large national account, generating more than $25 million in annualized sales.
• Jackson was the co-chair of the WIN associate resource group at SpartanNash, in which role she drove diversity, inclusion and associate engagement.

Kristen Kozminski

Account Sales Specialist Supervisor, SpartanNash

• In the span of one year, Kozminski held three leadership roles: presell manager, regional merchandising manager and account sales specialist supervisor; as presell manager, she revamped the presell booking number process, leading to an 80% decrease in errors.
• As regional merchandising manager, she collaborated with graphic services and an account manager to create a low-price merchandising program; in her current role, she captured more than $80,000 in additional sales.
• Outside of work, Kozminski volunteered as a host for the International Student Exchange Program and the International Cultural Exchange Services.

Autumn Lossing

National Accounts Manager, SpartanNash

• Lossing oversaw parcel distribution services and reveled in finding efficiencies; for example, she established direct procurement from a trusted manufacturer, bypassing external distributors, and delivered a cost benefit exceeding $1 million.
• She streamlined processes by standardizing the company’s parcel reclamation agreement for national account customers; she also exceeded expectations in optimizing existing-customer profitability, leading an internal team to surpass this goal by more than 10%.
• As co-chair of the RISE associate resource group for younger associates, Lossing organized engaging events, among them volunteering opportunities.

Sara Mouw

Human Resources Manager, Retail, SpartanNash

• Mouw spearheaded initiatives designed to improve safety protocols and foster a culture of safety awareness across the 79 retail stores she oversees; her efforts surpassed safety goals and resulted in a low 1.7 recordable incident rate.
• She implemented targeted retention strategies and provided support to store leaders, including best practices toolkits, so they could reduce turnover by 12% and boost retention by 4%.
• Mouw played a key role in the successful introduction and implementation of the associate engagement coordinator (AEC) position at SpartanNash stores and supported AECs with comprehensive training and ongoing development initiatives.

Sara Putcha

IT Director, Governance and Project Management Office, SpartanNash

• Putcha managed the capital budget of the infrastructure, security and operations (ISO) organization, achieving a 93% compliance rate with the budget; more than 50 ISO-driven projects were completed in FY23, all within budget and on schedule.
• Promoted to IT director in mid-2023, she established a strategic asset management program that significantly enhanced inventory management and financial accuracy; she also was able to strategically reallocate more than $500,000 to fund unplanned but critical business projects.
• Putcha was active in the Michigan Council of Women in Technology Foundation.

Deann Wright

Senior Director, Talent Development and Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Belonging (DEIB), SpartanNash

• Under Wright’s leadership, SpartanNash was named one of America’s Greatest Workplaces for Diversity 2024 by Newsweek; separately, DEIB scored high in the company’s annual associate engagement survey.
• She orchestrated the expansion of the company’s internship program from 40 to 105 students, with 61% diversity representation; SpartanNash’s college hires have tripled in number versus previous years.
• Wright launched a communication and collaboration platform to support the SpartanNash Women’s Impact Network and other associate resource groups.

Cheryl Colbert

Director of Customer Experience, Tops Markets LLC, Division of Northeast Grocery

• Colbert led the transition of the Instacart in-store shopping feature to a Tops-managed and -staffed service, an undertaking that involved training about 100 associates at 58 stores and ensuring that each location had the correct hardware and staffing.
• She managed the replacement of checkout equipment at 13 stores undergoing remodels and made sure that associates were trained to use the new robots.
• More than 18 years ago, Colbert and a colleague started an annual Monte Carlo Night to raise money for the Golisano Children’s Hospital, in Rochester, N.Y.; to date, they have raised $188,118-plus for the hospital. 

Barbara Doyle

Category Manager-Region Lead, UNFI

• Doyle enhanced program funding across the coffee category, resulting in lower costs for customers; she also hit an all-time high with one-week sales of $1.6 million for Maxwell House bonus-size coffee.
• She worked diligently with Acme Fresh Markets and Cousin’s on overall assortment work to ensure that they were carrying the right assortment to drive sales and profitability.
• Outside of the office, Doyle strove to make a difference in her local community by volunteering, along with her daughter, at the Ashland Athletic Club, in Virginia where the two of them worked with paraplegic club members; she also spent some of her spare time helping out at Feed More of Richmond and Children’s Hospital of Richmond.

Alexis Gibbs

HR Manager, Talent Partner, UNFI

• Gibbs co-launched the Brands+ CommUNITY Garden, an initiative devised to drive engagement for the Brands+ team through the focus areas of continuous improvement and communication, as well as to create connections through volunteerism and fun. 
• In partnership with the finance leadership team, she implemented a monthly finance director connect focused on development and building cross-functional collaboration.
• Beyond her HR manager role, Gibbs was coordinator and secretary for the UNFI Assist Program, an associate relief fund, in which role she was responsible for maintaining records, developing agendas for the quarterly meetings and processing approved requests for assistance.

Katie Smith

Senior Director of Merchandising, Pre-Packaged Deli, Walmart U.S., Walmart

• Smith led an important strategic initiative for the company, Dinner Tonight, which included quality improvements in packaging and product; technology advancements to provide hot foods in store, as well as for grocery pickup and delivery; and new fresh meal solutions for customers; this program saw strong results, driving the business and customer retention and growth.
• Additionally, her efforts to reduce waste resulted in a double-digit increase in that area.
• Beyond work, Smith devoted her time and expertise to several nonprofits, among them the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation, of which she was executive chair; Big Brothers/Big Sisters; and NextUp, where she served as an active mentor.