The Shelby Report of the Southeast
is pleased to honor...
Audrey Amoroso
Lowes Foods
Senior Manager, Shopper Marketing
Audrey Amoroso leads across different functions of the business and partners with CPG vendors to develop and implement creative approaches to drive sales.
Audrey works with the marketing team, category managers, e-commerce specialists
Efraim Armendariz
W. Lee Flowers & Co.
Manager, Loss Prevention and Food Safety
Efraim Armendariz is a son of immigrants and a first generation American.
Efraim started work with his father as a concrete finisher and
Spencer Baird
Inmar Intelligence
CEO
Spencer Baird’s remarkable professional journey spans over 18 years, during which he has held executive leadership positions at renowned organizations in the grocery retail, e-commerce and CPG sectors. His tenure includes valuable contributions to companies such as HJ Heinz, The Dannon Co., Kellogg’s, Ahold Delhaize and Peapod.
Notably, his expertise has been instrumental in shaping the success of Ahold Delhaize, where Spencer played a pivotal role in the development of an omnichannel vision
Luke Beatty
Acosta Group
SVP, Digital Commerce
Luke joined Acosta in 2021 and quickly established himself as a strategic thought leader and collaborative business partner for the organization. Luke was instrumental in bringing together siloed functions to leverage the retail sales expertise of Acosta and marketing prowess of its commerce agencies to establish a road map to deliver integrated omnichannel solutions for Acosta Group’s clients.
Soliciting feedback from Acosta clients, Luke was able to uncover pain points and identify areas of opportunity to help brands optimize their digital presence and accelerate
and operations team members to put together compelling multichannel programming the vendor community can engage with to reach guests.
She has a passion for program innovation that has led to unique experiences for guests. These programs come to life in store and digitally, creating curated omnichannel shopping opportunities for guests.
Beyond her work in shopper marketing, Audrey is known within the organization for her creativity and competitive drive. She has participated in (and won) multiple innovation challenges and inspires those around her to constantly think outside of the box.
went to school at the University of New Mexico to become a licensed contractor.
He’s a certified insurance adjuster and has also been an accountant for a savings and loan.
Efraim joined W. Lee Flowers & Co. in 2020 to lead warehouse safety initiatives. His efforts have helped improve safety performance by more than 50 percent.
He has a passion for training and community involvement. Efraim works with the local animal shelter, providing food.
and strategic plan, which culminated in the establishment of Peapod Digital Labs.
This experience has led to Spencer’s current appointment. He assumed this pivotal role in 2022, after joining Inmar Intelligence as chief transformation officer in 2020. In that role, he made an immediate impact, driving organizational change through the implementation of a circular working process composed of five key elements.
Those include the establishment of clear targets for every associate; detailed plans for how to achieve the targets; quality execution of the plans that have been committed; input and output metrics that show progress of the execution; and learning.
Introduced in late 2022 and rolled out across the company in early 2023, Spencer’s approach has been embraced by associates and is having a positive impact in driving Inmar Intelligence’s business momentum.
omnichannel sales. Under Luke’s leadership, the digital commerce business unit is the fastest growing segment in the company and has trained and certified more than 1,500 retail sales associates on digital commerce. In just two years, Luke’s digital commerce team has tripled in size, bringing in diverse talent and providing career development opportunities for associates in the Acosta Group ecosystem.
As Acosta Group grew through M&A, Luke played a critical role in supporting the integration of four new businesses by establishing common ways of working and introducing a set of eight team behaviors. Using this framework, Acosta Group was able to empower its leaders to make decisions and take actions that aligned with its values and strategic objectives.
Luke was recruited to Acosta Group from The Coca-Cola Co. and tasked with turning around the strategic advisors business unit that was coming off three years of revenue declines, high employee turnover and remained unprofitable
EMERGING LEADERS
Her competitive spirit comes to life in an enthusiastic and team-oriented way, which she brings forth when collaborating cross functionally. She is always looking for ways to improve current programming and bring new value to the organization.
Audrey embraces a test-and-learn mindset in her work, always driving growth, iterating and making the next round stronger. It’s this mindset and spirit of partnership that has helped her forge strong relationships with vendor partners and create win-win programming.
He also supports the local Harvest Hope Food Banks and Lake City Police Department Charter for Youth Day. Finally, Efraim represents the company for the South Carolina Hispanic Chamber of Commerce.
At Inmar, Spencer has been at the forefront of revolutionizing the industry's digital landscape, particularly across retail commerce, media and data. His visionary leadership has been instrumental in accelerating the digital transformation of Inmar and the industries it serves, catering to the rising consumer demand for personalized and targeted digital marketing strategies.
Leveraging his knowledge in retail, omnichannel engagement, merchandising and data-driven decision systems, Spencer has developed comprehensive strategies to optimize retail and manufacturer data.
In addition, Spencer holds board memberships with the Winston Salem Alliance and the Piedmont Triad Partnership, organizations dedicated to fostering growth and economic prosperity. He also serves on the Advisory Council for Dairy Management Institute, where he contributes his insights to further advance the dairy industry.
for the organization.
Following a comprehensive SWOT analysis of the services offered and organizational structure, it was clear a pivot was needed to deliver maximum value to clients and the business. Rather than fix a broken model, Luke made the bold recommendation to the ELT to “sunset” the division and refocus investments in high demand services where Acosta Group had the right to win – digital commerce, revenue growth management and category leadership.
Having built a culture of trust and transparency among his team, Luke’s empathetic approach to the change enabled the associates to recognize the change would create new opportunities for growth and career development.
As a result, many of the impacted associates elected to stay with the company and were energized by the opportunity to develop new capabilities and build the next chapter for Acosta Group.
Heather Beshears fairlife
Senior Franchise Operations Lead
Heather has been a brand partner involved with customer collaboration planning and selling for the last three years. Her ability to relate to customers’ needs and
John Bishop
The Fresh Market Group VP Operations
John Bishop plays a vital role in researching and deciding on new technology tools that enhance operational efficiency within the grocery chain's operations. His ability to identify innovative solutions that address the needs of customers and the enterprise sets him apart as a strategic and forward-thinking leader.
John stays abreast of technological advances and
Jason AWGCadogan
Executive Director, Warehouse-Gulf Coast DivisionJason Cadogan is a leader whose exceptional dedication to excellence and unwavering commitment to innovation have made a remarkable career spanning multiple regions and roles. He has consistently risen to every challenge with unparalleled passion and determination.
During his tenure in the AWG Nashville Division from 2006-15, Jason showcased his exceptional capabilities as a key member of the warehouse management system implementation team. For over two years, he worked tirelessly with the team to develop, test, train, support and successfully implement the new WMS, leading to remarkable improvements in operational efficiency. His leadership as the head of the inventory control team produced consistently best-in-class results, setting new industry standards.
Recognized for his exceptional talent, Jason was promoted to inbound manager and later warehouse manager
Caroline Catoe
ECRS
President
Caroline has demonstrated exceptional leadership at ECRS, a leading provider of point-of-sale and business operation solutions for the retail food and grocery industry.
Bryan Chartrand Acosta Group
EVP, Business Development
With 12 years at Acosta, Bryan has had the pleasure of working across a number of teams during his tenure. Most recently, his efforts have been primarily focused on acquiring new business for
determine a plan to help them achieve a desired result, along with meeting the needs of the bottler, are well documented.
She uses category insights, customer back goal setting and consumer trends to develop winning plans for customers.
Heather's four pillars of strength are strategic selling, financial acumen, drive and the ability to use technology to improve her efficiency and productivity. She serves the team with a stewardship mindset that seeks to assist them in achieving their goals while also meeting the needs of fairlife.
Heather also knows when to step away and focus the
maintains a comprehensive understanding of the tools available in the market. His expertise and knowledge in this area enable him to make informed decisions and implement new technologies fearlessly to drive positive change within the stores.
John's deep understanding of the grocery industry, particularly in the fresh segment, is invaluable. He possesses a wealth of knowledge and experience that allows him to grasp the nuances and complexities of the industry.
By leveraging his expertise, John identifies pain points across various teams within the enterprise and understands the questions to ask to address them effectively. His ability to empathize with different stakeholders and find solutions that align with their needs demonstrates his exceptional leadership qualities.
in AWG’s Nashville Division, during which time it achieved an unparalleled performance, outperforming operational key performance indicators across the board.
In his corporate distribution role from 2015-17, Jason proved himself as a reliable pillar of support for multiple distribution centers during critical expansions, leadership transitions and volume surges. He played a pivotal role in adopting and implementing Food Safety Modernization Act standards, ensuring the utmost safety and compliance in the distribution centers. Furthermore, his visionary leadership led to the successful implementation of new programs and processes, optimizing inbound dating and rotation controls.
During his tenure in AWG’s Nebraska Division from 201718, Jason displayed extraordinary leadership during AWG’s acquisition of AFM. His adept management skills allowed for seamless onboarding of new membership, reworking the facility layout and implementing an efficient racking system. He also spearheaded the standardization of selection methods and processes, ensuring a smooth transition of the division's private label inventory.
AWG’s Great Lakes Division witnessed an awe-inspiring turnaround when Jason assumed warehouse leadership in 2018. Amid rapid growth of more than $600 million in sales, Jason's strategic acumen and relentless drive transformed
Under Caroline's leadership, ECRS has grown significantly, expanding and perfecting its product offerings and services and entering new ventures.
Caroline has also been a strong advocate for innovation in the retail food and grocery industry, and she has helped to shape the future of the industry through her work with industry associations and ECRS retailers.
I believe that Caroline is an outstanding leader who is making a significant contribution to the retail food and grocery industry.
demands of being a mom and wife while delivering business results. Her passion for charitable causes is a testament to her character and how the next generation of servant leaders should behave.
EMERGING LEADERS
Heather is an advocate for these next leaders by being a mentor and serving on women's groups to share how to best approach work-life balance while in a fast-paced work environment.
Moreover, John's commitment to continuous improvement and embracing new technologies within the store showcases his dedication to operational excellence. He fosters a culture of innovation and experimentation, encouraging his team to explore and implement new technologies that drive efficiency and enhance the customer experience.
By being proactive and adaptive, John ensures that The Fresh Market remains at the forefront of technological advancements and maintains a competitive edge in the industry.
John’s ability to identify and implement innovative solutions, while understanding the needs of customers, stores and the enterprise, sets him apart as a true visionary in his field.
the division to best-in-class in every operational KPI in a little over a year. His exceptional leadership during the polar vortex, with extreme temperatures dipping to record lows, showcased his resilience and ability to navigate challenging circumstances. Additionally, he oversaw the expansion of the Great Lakes Division distribution center, demonstrating remarkable foresight and vision.
In 2020, during the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, Jason's astute leadership ensured the AWG Gulf Coast Division thrived amid unprecedented challenges. His unwavering dedication led the largest AWG warehouse during multiple natural disasters, including four hurricanes and an ice storm. His compassion for the employees and commitment to serving the communities in times of crisis earned him tremendous respect and admiration.
Throughout his career, Jason has consistently exemplified extraordinary leadership qualities, motivating his teams to perform at their best and encouraging innovation at every turn. His journey from driving operational excellence to navigating through unprecedented challenges showcases his unwavering dedication to delivering the best possible shopping experience for customers while inspiring those around him to reach new heights in their careers.
She is a role model for other women in the industry, and she is an inspiration to those around her.
the Acosta Group companies. He has personally led the pursuit and acquisition of dozens of new brand and retailer partnerships, amounting to about $100 million in annualized, reoccurring revenue.
Bryan keeps an open mind to his personal career journey. In his time at Acosta Group, he has always been up for new challenges, continuously looked for more responsibility and has trusted a network of mentors to guide his path.
With that, he has had to take assignments that were outside his comfort zone. But due to Bryan's desire to expand his experience and credentials, he took on challenges in an
effort to keep growing. Bryan now operates with a “pay it forward” mantra and looks for opportunities to give back, in the same way, mentors did in his career. He connects with no less than six to eight young professionals within the company on a quarterly basis who are looking for guidance and counsel.
Bryan's leadership style is servant leadership. He would not ask his team to do tasks he wouldn’t be open to doing himself and “carries a bag” to purposefully illustrate that he is working with his team.
Shannon Clark
Houchens Food Group
Director
of Brand and MarketingHouchens Food Group Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Houchens Industries Inc., operates more than 300 retail stores across 14 states via grocery, hardware, quick service restaurant and convenience formats.
Shannon Clark has been in her current role since April 2022, having previously led e-commerce and digital strategy efforts for Houchens Food Group since September 2019. She leads a skillful and creative team that has responsibilities for marketing, advertising, digital, creative, décor, branding and corporate communications.
Brad Crews
Harris Teeter
Warehouse Systems Manager
Brad is responsible for all warehouse systems, industrial engineering, incentive payroll and salvage dock operations. He replaced a highly respected associate that had held the role for nearly 40 years before retiring. Brad has risen to the challenge of taking on such an important role without disruption and still volunteered for extra responsibilities. Brad supports distribution executive leadership in every way, but most importantly by coordinating with the technology systems teams, ensuring that all warehouse systems remain fully functioning 24/7, 365 days a year.
Jeff Curry
Acosta Group Director of Grocery Operations
Jeff continues to find and highlight ways to help his team make strategic decisions by effectively and efficiently utilizing tools and resources to guide those decisions. As the independentretailer landscape continues to change and become more complex, it is vital for us to understand these changes and
Brittany Dell-Pryer
Harris Teeter
Store Director
Brittany completed the store director certification within one year of being store manager.
With her strong leadership and perseverance as store manager at Store No. 121, she was promoted to a higher volume store, Fort Mill, South Carolina.
Brittany showed support to the store associates and boosted morale in the store instantly. Her energetic personality has spread quickly throughout the store, directly affecting its performance. With her guidance and passion, customer service scores have quickly improved, store audits
Since her addition, Shannon has overseen many important initiatives for the company. These include the rebranding of Houchens Industries, launch of a Houchens Food Group website, rebranding of Crossroads and Price Less IGA, quarterly marketing kits to drive value communication in stores and the event planning for Houchens Industries celebration of $2 billion in ESOP distributions.
She has served on the National Retailer Advisory Board for IGA since May 2022. This addition to the board adds a marketing and brand perspective to discussions for independent grocery retailers.
On a philanthropic front, Shannon has served on the board of Feeding America, Kentucky’s Heartland since May. The mission of FAKH is to gather and distribute food in 42 Kentucky counties to feed neighbors in need through local partnerships. A member of the National Grocers Association and Women Grocers Association, she was honored to join the WGA’s inaugural Emerging Female Leaders group this year.
An important part of staying operational is having functional equipment ready to go, and Brad has implemented a new equipment tracking and inventory program. This system flushed out opportunities to reallocate equipment, avoiding the need for new purchases.
Training and mentoring has been a big focus for Brad over the past year. He has trained several associates on his team in engineered labor standards, and he has also worked with operations leaders to follow best practice with metrics –inventory, mark outs and problem pallets.
In this role, Brad led projects to create the store delivery arrival time web page and online load sheets, providing instant delivery visibility to stores, reducing dependence on phone call updates and printed reports. Brad has captured over $1 million in savings through engineered labor standard audits and enhancements, such as relocating equipment storage to reduce unnecessary selector travel time. He is also working to standardize key warehouse functions between two
quickly pivot to meet the needs of clients and customers to win in the marketplace.
Jeff has helped develop a series of playbooks to help out business management, customer management and administrative teams manage the complexities of customers and understand omnichannel opportunities.
Jeff continues to lead by finding solutions to complex problems his teams need to resolve. He works collaboratively with multiple departments in order to solve these problems and often finds the right source to find answers to questions. Jeff enjoys being a person that his teammates can come to for guidance, reassurance or feedback on a plan or situation and collectively find the appropriate course of action.
have all been passing and, most importantly, customers have taken notice.
She has only been with Harris Teeter for six years and was hired as an external co-manager. With her passion and commitment to this company, she has quickly demonstrated the definition of a store director.
Brittany demonstrates leadership through innovation, interactions with others and making a difficult choice by being committed to her store’s well-being daily. She recognizes talent from just the first handshake. With that commitment, she is always looking for that potential and spark to help make this company strong from all sides, starting with the first interview.
She wants to see associates advance and further their career at Harris Teeter and is always prepared to help coach part-time associates to co-managers. As a member of the Young Professionals Group, she understands the next
Before Houchens, Shannon held positions as senior merchandising manager at Fruit of the Loom and marketing supervisor at Shop HQ. These positions provided a broad range of experience that touched all aspects of the product life cycle, from development to customer retention. Her passion is approaching marketing with a consumerfocused and data-driven strategy.
EMERGING LEADERS
Shannon is a native Kentuckian, born in Owensboro and graduated top of her class from Grayson County High School in 2000. She graduated with honors from Western Kentucky University in 2005 with a bachelor’s degree in design and merchandising. She is a resident of Warren County, wife to Derek W. Clark and devoted mother to Elise and River Clark.
distribution centers to improve safety and reduce cost.
Since taking over salvage dock operations, Brad maximized schedules to provide 24/7 coverage and created more streamlined procedures for trailer movement and processing. These innovations reduced pending salvage trailers by more than 75 percent, freeing up equipment for shipping needs.
Brad played a large role in launching the fulfillment center through building, testing and auditing data migration processes and item integration. He is a member of the company’s Young Professionals Associate Resource Group, working on projects to make improvements to Service Hero Recognitions and advanced visibility for career path opportunities within the company. He also volunteers with A Simple Gesture, a nonprofit that coordinates food donations.
Jeff has always prided himself on being hard-working and challenges those around him to strive for that, too. As he moved throughout his career, the most fulfilling times have been when a manager, mentor or peer has given him responsibilities above and beyond the scope of his day-to-day job. This inspired and motivated him to continue to give more and focus deeper on ways to help his team.
Personally and professionally, it has been this drive that has allowed him to accomplish some amazing goals. Success begets success, and when we share collective successes as a team and organization to inspire others to do the same, there is nothing better than that.
generation will be the future leaders of the company. With the right guidance and demonstration of skills to the next generation of leaders she has taken under her wing, she feels confident in them as she flourishes with them.
Thinking about her leadership style, defining characteristics and accomplishments, three words come to mind – energetic, charismatic and a well-rounded leader. Brittany carries a spirit with her that resonates throughout her store and catches like wildfire with all her associates and customers. Her personality is effervescent.
To show her team the support it needs and the morale necessary to transform a store to its full potential requires her to go the extra mile, to push through distractions or obstacles and to be a promoter, defender and advocate for all associates.
John Epps
W. Lee Flowers & Co. Distribution Services ManagerJohn Epps’ first job was as a firefighter for the fire department in Lake City, South Carolina. He started his career with W. Lee Flowers & Co. 15 years ago, in
Matt Farrugia
Harris Teeter
Store Director
Matt came to Harris Teeter in 2010, right out of college, joining the team as an assistant produce manager and worked his way into a produce manager role within seven months. Matt’s first produce department in the Washington, D.C. market averaged $90,000 in sales a week; in six months, the average sales had risen to $110,000 a week. After 12 months, Matt was moved to the second largest produce department in the company, continuing his drive to increase sales and freshness.
Matt continued to rise through the ranks in Harris Teeter, entering the management development program in 2014.
Yessmy Garrison
Harris Teeter
Manager of Training, Recruiting and Diversity, Equity and Inclusion
Yessmy Garrison began her career with the company in 2006 as a bagger in Falls Church, Virginia. Over the last 17 years, she has held several roles throughout the company, each one with more responsibility than the last. At the store level, she was quickly promoted to customer service manager then to co-manager. She then served an entire district of stores as operations support specialist in Charleston, South Carolina. She was promoted to her current
Crystal Harrison
Toshiba Global Commerce Solutions
VP, Sales Solutions Architecture
Crystal Harrison leads the solutions team in delivering clients a holistic approach composed of software, hardware and services.
In her two years at Toshiba, she has demonstrated her expertise in providing consultative sales solutions, transforming a growing team of 25 people across the Americas into a group of proactive technical solutions sellers equipped to discuss the entire portfolio of products, resulting in double-digit sales growth.
She fosters an environment of transparency and
2008. He has since held ever-increasing leadership positions in support of the company.
John has a mind for technology and a high desire to give back to his community. He volunteers as the WAZE navigation APP State Manager for South Carolina. He also spent 25 years as a volunteer firefighter and still supports training as the National Fire Protection Association fire instructor for the local fire academy. He volunteers at the local Harvest Hope Food Bank and supports the Lake City Police Charter for Youth Day.
Matt was a co-manager for a mere three years before his promotion to store manager in 2017, just seven years after it all began. Matt became a store director in 2022 and was selected to be the training store director, overseeing new leadership development program candidates in the highly competitive Northern Virginia/Washington, D.C. market.
Matt's continuous drive to amplify daily processes and operations have helped elevate his own stores. Matt continues to be a "go-to" leader for other managers within the company and always shares his successes and best practices to reform the company. Through continuous dedication to his job and Harris Teeter, Matt continues to raise the bar for his associates and the Harris Teeter brand.
Matt demonstrated leadership through innovation and interactions with others when he took over Store 279 in March 2022. Prior to his leadership, the store had earned a "needs improvement" on its scorecard, failing to meet the minimum goal of a “meets expectations” on all measurable
role in 2022.
Yessmy is a natural leader and problem solver who understands what it takes to motivate her team. While in her previous role in Charleston, Yessmy supported her staff during the busy seasons by coming up with various methods to encourage her associates and developing creative ideas to meet the high demands of a seasonal environment.
During her first year leading DE&I efforts at Harris Teeter, she developed two additional associate resource groups, led and organized companywide volunteer events, grew the DE&I team by hiring two additional specialists and created and facilitated DE&I courses to include unconscious bias training, as well as education around equity and belonging.
Yessmy is committed to helping communities and is actively involved with Harris Teeter’s food bank partners. She volunteers her time across a wide range of events, including
John is a busy community partner, in addition to his job responsibilities. He oversees logistics and all warehouse systems and works diligently to ensure trucks and products reach communities safely and on time every single day.
EMERGING LEADERS
categories.
Without changing any department managers and solely through Matt’s leadership, Store 279 overcame all of its deficits and became a leader for "out of stock" scans and asset protection audits during the first six months of Matt's leadership. Under his supervision, the store earned a perfect 100 percent on the AP Audit and maintained a 99 average for the year. By the end of the year, Matt led his team to an "exceeds expectations" on its overall store scorecard.
Describing Matt, the characteristics of innovative, passionate and committed to excellence come to mind. Matt grew up in a family grocery business and has carried that sense of pride in every operation that he has led for Harris Teeter.
Matt has pioneered shortage programs for all the stores he has operated, discovering over $350,000 in warehouse shortages in 2022. Matt’s commitment to excellence has helped train and develop future leaders for Harris Teeter.
at local schools during Black History Month and preparing high school-age students for the workforce by conducting mock interviews.
Other volunteer events include fundraising for the MS Awareness Walk and the JDRF Awareness Walk and participating in Toys for Tots giving events and blanket drives for the unhoused communities. Yessmy also volunteers as a translator to assist in bridging the communication gap for certain communities.
Yessmy continues to help strategize and lead Harris Teeter to be “Better Every Day,” which is one of its guiding principles. She is committed to elevating the voices of those around her, as well as lifting others up to find confidence to be the best version of themselves.
Yessmy and her husband, Troy, have two children and enjoy spending free time together as a family.
empowerment, emphasizing Voice of Customer, Voice of Business Partner and Voice of Field. Her team is a driving force in the efforts to train and empower strategic business partners on the company’s solutions, such as the ELERA Commerce Platform. Crystal’s goal is for the SA team to understand all of Toshiba’s retail solutions while enhancing their expertise in the products they specialize in.
Everyone Crystal hires or mentors is learning to be a proactive technical seller, transforming their scope of work and resulting in a 20 percent reduction in traditional services work. She aims to adjust the team to have territories proactively assigned to individual sales reps versus specialists being assigned to any account. She emphasizes that the goal for the team is to become trusted advisors for customers by developing an intimate knowledge of their accounts and building trust with account stakeholders.
Crystal has led efforts for continuous improvement
projects, including new interoperability product matrix tools, new AI capabilities for product support and being a leader in the Toshiba 4DX process. A new 4DX process designed to help the company meet its widely important goal, Crystal was one of five leaders selected to run the process and worked with a cross-functional team of more than 30 members for an entire year. Her team was one of the first to exceed the assigned goals, leading to Toshiba increasing overall hardware margins.
Crystal prioritizes mentoring and building up her teams to be the best in the industry and the best versions of themselves. Through her mantra of “teach them and they will grow,” she is a collaborative leader who listens and always looks at both the short-term problems and long-term implications. She is a well-respected leader at Toshiba who prides herself on her work ethic and the working relationships she has fostered.
Jennifer Holmes
Food Lion
Assistant Category Manager
Jennifer is an up-and-comer in the industry. Colleagues appreciate her passion, fairness, follow-up and communication. Jennifer has been a true partner with words, actions and follow-up.
Titus Holmes
KJ’s IGA
Store Co-Manager
Titus started his career bagging groceries in high school and fell in love with the pace of the business and the awesome people that work together to make the company’s stores a great place to shop.
Meredith Hurley
Southeastern Grocers
Senior Director of Communications and Community
Southeastern Grocers’ communications leader Meredith Hurley is a remarkable candidate for the Emerging Leaders recognition as proven by her outstanding accomplishments and unwavering commitment throughout her 15-year career in grocery retail.
Her corporate communications experience, leadership skills and substantial contributions have successfully aided in driving positive change for SEG’s customers, associates and communities, while also inspiring and motivating her colleagues to succeed.
Hurley oversees all internal and external
Chad Johnson
AWG
Director, Center Store-Nashville Division
Chad Johnson has an impressive career in retail grocery and dedication to enhancing customers' shopping experiences through problem-solving and effective solutions. With more than 25 years of experience in multiple wholesale and retail channels, Chad has proven himself to be an accomplished professional in category management, merchandising, pricing and supply chain within the grocery industry.
Chad's career path demonstrates his commitment to the grocery industry and his versatility in handling various roles. In his current role, Chad has led the company's center store sales, exceeding budgeted sales and gross profit
In Jennifer, Food Lion has a young person who is capable of having a long-term career in the industry because of who she is.
For example, the company had an opportunity it wanted to pursue. After a few calls and meetings to review and lay out a business strategy, Jennifer was instrumental in changing the direction – seeing a new opportunity. As a result, the company made two new items with a better chance of impacting and growing the category and offering the consumer a better item with much better value.
It is important to recognize Jennifer and other young
Titus worked tirelessly at his retail craft through high school, earning many opportunities for growth. After graduating, his career accelerated. Titus has been a comanager for only a short period of time but has already completed a stretch project as store manager while there were gaps between leaders.
Titus has raised his hand and is willing to relocate to continue his path forward to become a permanent store manager. He is working hard to position himself for the next opportunities.
Titus is a great merchandiser and even better with guests
professionals who are making the food industry a career and making an impact.
EMERGING LEADERS
and hosts. Titus is known in the community. When walking the store, he calls guests by name and they know him. We look forward to seeing Titus's career continue to bloom.
communications, streamlining channels to enhance engagement, build trust and genuine connections with SEG’s associates and customers. Hurley’s ability to identify and execute new strategies has resulted in revenue growth, operational performance improvement and overall business success.
Hurley leads a dynamic team of professionals, strategically planning and executing in-store events, philanthropic efforts, corporate social responsibility initiatives and government affairs. Under her leadership, these programs produce tangible results and positively impact local communities. Furthermore, she actively mentors her colleagues, nurturing their development and helping them reach their full potential within the company.
Hurley is deeply committed to community service and helping to better the lives of SEG’s customers and neighbors. As VP of the SEG Gives Foundation, the grocer's charitable arm, Hurley plays a pivotal role in fostering community engagement by aligning SEG's giving initiatives with causes
that hold the utmost significance to its communities.
From fighting hunger to championing belonging, inclusion and diversity to supporting military service members and their families and providing relief for those impacted by natural disasters, Hurley’s efforts have created meaningful change and improved the lives of individuals, families and communities within the five states SEG serves.
Hurley's dedication to fostering an inclusive workplace is further evidenced by her involvement with the SEG Shadow Board, which works to ensure the diverse voices of associates and customers are heard and represented.
By actively seeking and incorporating unique perspectives, Hurley contributes to SEG’s mission to be an inclusive grocer and employer. Hurley's career accomplishments, exemplary leadership qualities and impactful community service make her an outstanding candidate.
targets in both 2021 and ’22. He also has played a pivotal role in launching the company's first fresh bread and crate milk programs, highlighting his ability to innovate and drive growth.
Additional career highlights and examples of Chad’s leadership skills came during his tenure as director of center store at Wayfield Foods. He successfully established a category review process aligned with in-store reset execution. He also introduced cross-departmental “in-ad” meal plans to boost sales and meet customer expectations.
His accomplishments as senior category merchandiser at UNFI included redesigning the category review processes for seven distribution centers in the East and leading the development of “aisle initiatives” for dairy, frozen and pet products. His efforts also extended to nurturing talent, as he created a training program to groom category analysts into future category managers.
Chad's leadership style revolves around empowering his team, encouraging open communication and fostering
collaboration. By involving team members in discussions about improving processes, identifying gaps and finding solutions, he ensures their ownership and commitment to positive outcomes. His approach to training team members to be future leaders further exemplifies his dedication to nurturing talent and fostering growth.
Chad's commitment to community service reflects his desire to uplift and support others personally and professionally. He actively helps friends and colleagues with resume building, interview preparation and other careerrelated matters. His genuine desire to give back, fueled by the support he received from mentors and friends throughout his life, underscores his dedication to making a positive impact on future leaders.
Chad's contributions to the grocery industry and his dedication to empowering others truly exemplify the qualities of an emerging leader who is making a significant impact in the field.
Shannone Kerber KJ’s IGA District Manager
Shannone has a rich background in the grocery industry with a burning desire to learn and grow daily. Shannone reads many books each week as she loves to
Price Mabry Corner Market VP, Fresh
Price began his career at United Supermarkets in Oklahoma. His love for the grocery business started as a teenager following in his father’s footsteps. Those deep roots are what continue to drive his passion for fresh products and enthusiastic support of stores and their teams.
Price’s career journey has provided him with diverse experiences and a broad spectrum of responsibilities in various areas, customer segments and categories. His expertise includes sales management, merchandising, procurement, warehouse management and strategic marketing.
He prides himself on his collaborative communication style and strong work ethic His ability to connect with people and exceed objectives have earned him the respect and trust
challenge herself to lead her team.
The company is proud of Shannone's new role as district manager, as she accepted a stretch project as a temporary DM and earned her way in the mix for interviews and ultimately was offered a permanent DM role.
Shannone is a great teacher of the basics and delivers the message so her team understands and can achieve desired results. Shannone has made tremendous progress with followthrough, as well as bringing merchandising for sales to life.
Recognition is on Shannone’s mind daily and it shows
of colleagues, customers and suppliers.
In his current role, Price has proven himself as a leader that motivates others. Since joining the company, Price has advocated and mentored Corner Markets 2022 IFPA Produce Manager of the Year winner Tyler Dogget, who is now a store director.
Price has been instrumental with the Corner Market floral program, with the most recent 2022 EIM winner, presented by AWG, Nicole McLaurin, who is Corner Market’s floral supervisor.
Price has advocated and trained Olin Williams, IFPA 2023 Produce Manager of the Year winner. Price has advocated and pushed the Corner Market meat cutter academy program. Since 2022, five graduates have finished the program and become meat cutters in-store.
Price has been deeply involved with the communities in which Corner Market operates stores. He has been a key advisor with the Boys and Girls Club of Central Mississippi. Price and the team at BGCCM are working with the local government agencies to be able to accept SNAP, EBT and
with the way she celebrates wins in the district and makes her team heroes by taking pictures and showcasing them at the district managers’ weekly meetings. Shannone is a shining star.
state-supported programs to help stretch the grocery dollars. The objective is to learn as much as they can about what the kids and families need and how best to lift up the community.
The Good Stuff Kiosk is a pilot program in which the BGCCM kids run each kiosk, from ordering and stocking it to keeping track of the sales and inventory, along with the opportunity to learn the ins and outs of the grocery business. Price has been an active and vital part of organizing and implementing this program in Jackson, Mississippi.
Price is involved and supports the industry, such as the Southeast Produce Council, where he served on the STEPUPP committee in 2018.
"Since the beginning of his journey at Roberts Company, Price has made us all better grocers through his enthusiasm, leadership and vast knowledge of the grocery business,” said David Roberts, president.
“We are extremely proud of Price in receiving this honor and are grateful to have a leader of his caliber at the Roberts Company.”
Sarah May is a rising star in the grocery industry, making a significant impact on the company she is associated with. Her contributions over the past two years have been instrumental in aligning the organization, from top to bottom, through strategic planning and goal-oriented management practices. Beyond her professional achievements, Sarah's leadership style is characterized by her ability to inspire and motivate those around her. She leads by example and encourages others to reach their full potential. Her dedication to excellence and her passion for driving positive change have made her a role model for aspiring leaders within the company.
Rick McCurry
Rick and his team continue to drive best-in-class daily store conditions, wrapped in legendary guest service. Rick is a pillar in the community as he is involved
John Nilsson Jr.
Action Food Sales President
Having a parent who started his own food brokerage in 1989, I have basically grown up in the industry. While my original plan going
Margaret Pickett
Southeastern Grocers
Senior Director Commercial Finance
Margaret Pickett consistently demonstrates steadfast dedication and commitment to her career in the grocery retail industry. Her passion for solving problems and implementing innovative solutions to enhance the customers' shopping experience is commendable and deserving of Shelby Publishing’s Emerging Leaders award.
In her current role, Pickett leads a team responsible for financial oversight of critical departments such as marketing, e-commerce, supply chain and smart localization. Her
As we continue to navigate an ever-evolving industry, we are fortunate to have Sarah May guiding the organization toward future success. Her strategic mindset, goal-oriented approach and ability to bring people together have made a significant impact on the company's growth and development. We look forward to witnessing the continued positive influence she will have as she continues to emerge as a leader in the grocery business.
As a business owner, finding people who align with your values is crucial, and Sarah embodies those values in every way. Her dedication to her work extends beyond her own company and resonates with the wider grocery community, evident by her position as the youngest board member of the Women Grocers of America.
Integrity, the cornerstone of any successful company, is a quality that Sarah possesses personally and professionally. Her unwavering commitment to ethical conduct and transparency sets an example for others to follow. She understands the importance of treating people with respect,
valuing their worth and fostering a sense of community within the workplace.
in many nonprofit organizations, from feeding the hungry to helping the less fortunate build their careers at KJ’s.
Rick is and continues to be a talent provider for his store, as well as stores in the district. Rick not only is ready for growth but he has his replacement manager ready as well, so there will be a seamless transition of leadership.
Rick has worked hard to position himself for future openings in the company and won the President’s Award for Store of the Year. Rick sets himself apart from other managers by not only leading his store but taking on stretch projects to
into the business school at UNC Chapel Hill wasn't to follow in my father's footsteps, after graduating, he and I discussed the legacy of Action Food Sales and the opportunity I had to work in our family's business.
Now after 16 years, I have helped further cement Action Food Sales as the premier perishable food broker in the Southeast.
strategic insights and expertise have proven invaluable in driving operational efficiency and optimizing business performance. Pickett’s ability to lead cross-functional weekly sales meetings and contribute to the operating board showcases her exceptional leadership qualities.
Throughout her tenure at SEG, Pickett has consistently motivated others to perform at their best. Her natural leadership qualities inspire her colleagues to go above and beyond in their daily tasks. Her dedication to mentoring and coaching team members has resulted in significant improvements in productivity and team cohesion.
Pickett’s altruism and commitment to community service is equally remarkable. As a board member for Hope Haven, a Jacksonville, Florida-based nonprofit, she actively supports its mission of ensuring children and families are provided with opportunities to realize their full potential. Her strategic
Sarah's servant leadership style is a testament to her commitment to serving others and bringing out the best in her team. By prioritizing the growth and development of her team, she cultivates an environment of trust, collaboration and shared success.
EMERGING LEADERS
Her unwavering commitment to high standards ensures that excellence is at the core of everything she does. Sarah consistently challenges herself and those around her to strive for continuous improvement. She embraces change as an opportunity for growth and learning, always seeking ways to innovate and stay ahead in a dynamic industry.
help in his district as well as the company.
Rick has led numerous projects with high success at every turn. Rick has just accepted another stretch project to lead 10 stores through resets and re-merchandising, which will take him on the road for five months. Rick is truly a shining star.
thinking and business acumen have helped in guiding key business decisions for Hope Haven beneficiaries.
Furthermore, Pickett’s experience in her past roles with SEG – as director of commercial finance and vendor management and senior manager of strategic sourcing –exemplify her versatile skill set and ability to drive meaningful change.
She successfully launched the SEG Vendor Management Office, enhancing cost management and supplier relations across the organization. Additionally, her implementation of a comprehensive cost management project demonstrated her management skills and cross-functional collaboration.
Margaret Pickett’s extensive background in the grocery retail industry, coupled with her exceptional leadership qualities and dedication to community, make her an excellent candidate for this award.
KJ’s IGA Store ManagerHeath joined Harris Teeter as a bagger in 2003. Through his hard work and dedication, he worked his way to manager in 2018. Since becoming a store director, Heath has made a significant impact at every location he’s worked. Examples include increasing store sales each year by an average of 10 percent, identifying and developing two internal candidates for the LDP program and training several other external and internal candidates for management roles.
Heath consistently achieves higher than company standards on each measurable goal, making him a great coach advising other established store directors on best practices for running highly efficient stores.
At each location, Heath has established a culture of high energy and morale in the associate body, resulting in a remarkable and efficient work environment, consistently winning company contests as well as reaching the $3 million club this year in sales profit.
Heath demonstrates leadership through innovation, interactions with others and making a difficult choice with recognizing talent in others and knowing how to fully use that talent even when they themselves may not. Through his mastery of this craft, Heath has been able to develop key associates for crucial roles in-store to not only keep business operating smoothly, but to flourish, so all company benchmarks are consistently exceeded.
Heath has done this time and time again, from developing hourly associates to assistant and department managers to also developing associates to store management roles and even training and promoting an associate to store manager.
Heath's natural ability to make the people around him successful is a key component in what makes a company go from standard to great. Heath engages in local events, specifically sponsoring breast cancer awareness each October.
Thinking about his leadership style, defining characteristics, his strengths would be characterized as dynamic, inspirational and a true leader. Heath’s personality and leadership style are one in the same.
Heath is a person of enormous positive energy and inspiration. This energy constantly radiates from him and affects everyone around him. Heath has a natural way of compelling greatness from those he leads by showing them their own potential and getting them to expect greatness from themselves.
Heath is a motivator of the highest caliber and with that comes motivated, happy associates, who are the driving force of any successful business.
Nikki Smalley
Harris Teeter Account Manager
Nikki Smalley is an emerging leader in the retail food industry and paving the way for the new generation. She has become well versed with Harris Teeter just two years into her career after graduating from the University of Florida’s Warrington School of Business.
Jonathan Waite Toshiba Global Commerce Solutions VP, Digital Transformation
Jonathan Waite’s role focuses on overseeing Toshiba’s software development, including the ELERA Commerce Platform. He is responsible for delivering the company’s new initiatives as it advances ELERA to a managed Cloud offering. These offerings will open exciting capabilities and new roles within Toshiba as it delivers “as a service” to new customer segments.
Jonathan is also instrumental in building a new culture and software development process within Toshiba. As a seasoned software executive, Jonathan consistently
She started out on the private label team for Harris Teeter in the HBC and GM categories, learning the ropes for a year. She then transitioned into the UNFI account manager role for Harris Teeter. She now supports seven category managers ranging from dairy, frozen, breakfast, baking, pet/non-foods, HBC beauty/health.
Starting in January, she has conducted 40-plus category reviews and more than 150 new items were accepted. She works with 15-plus brokers on a weekly basis, becoming familiar with new emerging brands and specialty/premium brands.
She helps build categories by becoming knowledgeable on trends in the market and understanding shoppers’ priorities
demonstrates exemplary commitment to his career in retail grocery, showcasing his remarkable leadership qualities and making significant contributions to his community.
He shows unwavering dedication to solving problems and implementing innovative solutions that maximize customer shopping experiences. Jonathan’s expertise lies in producing best-in-class software architectures and products, continuously improving algorithms and enhancing the overall customer experience.
Under his leadership, a team of nearly 300 software engineers and testers at Toshiba has thrived through organizational and technical challenges, driving business success and transforming Toshiba's point-of-sale software solutions.
Jonathan has also achieved Patent Plateau 6 and submitted 17 U.S. patents at Toshiba, showcasing his commitment to driving innovation and making a difference in the software
EMERGING LEADERS
before they do. She is always supporting category managers to find the best innovative products and contribute to a better shopping experience. She has demonstrated a plethora of leadership skills by quickly adapting into the account manager role, presenting category reviews by herself and exhibiting professionalism in the way she does business.
She has shown that she is capable of taking on challenging roles and will continue to motivate other young professionals to do the same.
industry. His passion focuses on creating impactful software products that enhance user experiences.
Beyond day-to-day responsibilities, Jonathan actively engages in community service work and positively impacts the communities he serves. He has been instrumental in creating mentoring programs for interns and recent graduates, providing professional guidance and pairing them with senior members to foster professional development. In addition, Jonathan dedicates time to mentoring local students interested in pursuing technology degrees, helping them explore their career paths and connecting them with valuable opportunities in the industry.
Jonathan embodies the qualities of an emerging leader in the retail food industry. His passion, expertise and commitment to excellence are evident in his career achievements and community service efforts.
Michael Wiseman
Lowes Foods Manager of Learning Development
Michael has consistently demonstrated his commitment to solving problems and implementing solutions that enhance the experience of guests and hosts. His leadership qualities, grounded in servant leadership and the company's tenets, have motivated others to excel in their daily tasks. Furthermore, his active involvement in the Winston-Salem community solidifies his position as a pillar of support and connection across industries.
Although retail grocery was not Michael's planned career path, he has found a family and an industry that foster
professional and individual growth. He has become an indispensable asset to the organization through his dedication and passion.
Michael's exceptional problem-solving skills and creativity have allowed him to identify and address pain points within the retail environment. By leading his team to develop engaging and inspiring learning experiences, partnering with leaders at all levels and providing a forwardthinking vision, he consistently maximizes the guests' shopping experience by preparing host teams.
Moreover, Michael's leadership qualities inspire those around him. Leading by example, he demonstrates a strong work ethic, humility and genuine concern for the well-being of his team members. He embraces servant leadership, always prioritizing the needs of others and empowers his colleagues to take ownership of their tasks.
His leadership is most evident in the company’s leadership program, Lowes Legendary Leadership, where
Michael has taken great care to develop growth experiences in the classroom and in creative off-site workshops that inspire upcoming leaders to find new levels in their own leadership strategies.
In addition to his outstanding contributions within the organization, Michael actively supports, endorses and connects with leaders from all industries, recognizing the value of collaboration and collective growth. Michael's involvement in community initiatives and his active participation in Leadership Winston-Salem highlight his genuine desire to make a positive impact beyond the walls of the organization. After participating in Leadership WinstonSalem, he remains part of the program by coordinating events and activities with program directors.
His ability to inspire others and foster strong relationships with community leaders are a testament to his remarkable leadership qualities and commitment community.
