United Fresh Unveils Produce Managers of the Year

The United Fresh Produce Association has revealed its annual slate of Produce Manager of the Year Award winners. The program pays tribute to produce managers, whose duties include increasing sales and consumption of fresh fruits and vegetables. For the past 17 years, United Fresh has honored 25 of the industry’s top retail produce managers for their commitment to fresh produce, innovative merchandising, community service and customer satisfaction.

The winners are as follows:

• Fadi Abou-Ali, Metro Inc., Toronto, No. 29 on on The PG 100, Progressive Grocer’s 2020 list of the top food and consumables retailers in North America 
• Toni Adams, Harps Food Stores Inc., Springdale, Arkansas
• Lee Anderson, Hy-Vee Inc., Omaha, Nebraska, No. 33 on PG’s list
• Bobby Andrake, Haggen Northwest Fresh, Olympia, Washington
• Chad Bays, Food City, Prestonburg, Kentucky (Parent company K-VA-T is No. 74 on PG’s list)
• William Blalock, The Kroger Co., Atlanta, No. 3 on on PG’s list
• Maria Broda, West Point Commissary, West Point, New York (Defense Commissary Agency is No. 56 on PG’s list)
• Jacqulyn Brodell, Meijer, Greenfield, Wisconsin, No. 19 on PG’s list
• Stephany Buonomano, Bob’s Windham IGA, Windham, Connecticut
• Mikaela Claude, Sprouts Farmers Market, Las Vegas, No. 45 on PG’s list
• Tyler Christy, Harris Teeter Supermarkets, Charlotte, North Carolina (a Kroger-owned chain)
• Chris Contakos, Price Chopper/Market 32 Supermarkets, Schenectady, New York (Parent company Golub Corp. is No. 55 on PG’s list)
• Shawn Fast, Coborn’s Inc., Sauk Rapids, Minnesota, No. 82 on PG’s list
• Jessica Granier, Rouses Markets, Thibodaux, Louisiana, No. 80 on PG’s list
• Jesse Jordan, Fred Meyer, Bellingham, Washington (A Kroger-owned chain)
• Adam Klazura, Jewel-Osco, Naperville, Illinois (Parent company Albertsons Cos. is No. 8 on PG’s list)
• Jim Keller, Hornbacher’s Foods, Fargo, North Dakota (A subsidiary of Coborn’s)
• Peter Kenney, Big Y Foods, Inc., Ludlow, Massachusetts, No. 72 on PG’s list
• AK Khalid, Martin’s, a brand of The Giant Co., Front Royal, Virginia (Parent company Ahold Delhaize USA is No, 11 on PG’s list)
• Karen O’Dell, Martin’s Super Market, Granger, Indiana
• Joe Ortiz, Brookshire Grocery Co., Monroe, Louisiana, No. 60 on PG’s list
• Apolinar Parra, Gelson’s Markets, Century City, California
• Dusty Taylor, Tops Markets LLC, Depew, New York, No. 63 on PG’s list
• John Truncale, Brattleboro Food Co-Op, Brattleboro, Vermont
• Jeff Wilmes, Roth’s Fresh Market, Salem, Oregon

All of the winners will be recognized during United Fresh 2021 this June. 

“Dusty Taylor exemplifies all the qualities a great produce manager should have. He has delivered a top-notch fresh and well merchandised produce department day in and day out for the past 30 years,” remarked Jeff Cady, director of produce and floral for Williamsville, New York-based Tops.  “His leadership skills are tremendous and his passionate spirit, infectious.  He is so well deserving of the 2020 United Fresh Retail Produce Manager of the Year, and it is long overdue.” 

Last month, the Newark, Delaware-based Produce Marketing Association and Washington, D.C.-based United Fresh said that the two organizations had come to an agreement to create a new global trade association. The two associations will continue to operate as independent organizations through 2021, with the new association to be launched Jan. 1, 2022.