Publix General Counsel to Retire

John Attaway, SVP, general counsel and secretary at Publix Super Markets, will retire on May 31 after 21 years at the Lakeland, Fla.-based company. At that time, Merriann Metz, currently Publix’s assistant general counsel and assistant secretary, will be promoted to the position of VP, general counsel and secretary.

Attaway joined Publix in 1997 as corporate counsel and became general counsel and secretary in three years later. He was promoted to his current role in 2005.

“John started our corporate legal department and has been instrumental in developing our legal team,” noted Publix CEO Todd Jones. “In addition, throughout his career, he has taken on many additional responsibilities. I’m thankful for John’s contributions to the growth and success of Publix and wish him much happiness in the next chapter of his life.”

Before coming to Publix in 2006 as an attorney in the corporate legal department, Metz was an attorney with the Lowndes Drosdick law firm, in Orlando, Fla. She was promoted to senior attorney in 2010, became assistant general counsel a year later, and rose to her current role in 2016.

“Merriann has a collaborative and thoughtful approach to everything she works on,” said Jones. “I’m excited to see her take this next step in her career.”

Publix operates 1,213 stores in Alabama, Florida, Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee and Virginia. The company is No. 5 on Progressive Grocer’s 2018 Super 50 list of the top grocers in the United States.