Kelsey Byars is a registered dietitian, an accidental private chef and a customer-proclaimed spice girl. Growing up in New Orleans, she developed an early appreciation for cooking. In 2017, she moved to Oklahoma City, completed her post-graduate program and became a registered dietitian.
Kelsey’s career took an unexpected turn when she started cooking for a local family. This fulfilling experience led her to quit her job and embrace her passion for cooking. While working with nutrition clients, she noticed they struggled with flavor and variety. In contrast, her
Gannon Carrier
Brookshire Grocery Co.
Store Director
Gannon Carrier is store director at No. 621 in New Iberia, Louisiana, where he has served since May 2021. Over the last five years as a store director, Gannon’s success as a leader is evident. He received BGC’s 2022 Store Director of the Year Award and was also nominated as an FMI Store Manager of the Year in 2022. However, it is his dedication to his team and his passion for customer service that has set Gannon and his store above the rest. Gannon has never backed down from competition and
Renee Cirksena Schraad Sales & Marketing Business
Development Manager
Renee Cirksena provides strategic sales leadership for several CPGs at regional retailers across the Iowa market. Her previous roles through the ranks of retail, including serving as a store manager at Hy-Vee, provide Renee with a unique understanding of retail.
Joel Jackson
Cowboy Meats - FAPC Meat Pilot Plant Manager
Joel Jackson has provided strong service to Oklahoma State University, the consuming public and the food industry by providing solutions for cost recovery, worthwhile dissemination of information and workforce training.
Since coming aboard in November 2022, Joel has mentored dozens of students in the meat pilot plant, with 100 percent being hired upon graduation from OSU and nearly all of them with industry positions essential to the retail food supply chain.
cooking clients loved her healthy, flavorful meals, thanks to her unique spice blends.
Seeing an opportunity, Kelsey bottled her salt-free, sugar-free blends, creating The Spice Girl Kitchen’s seasoning line. These spices cater to all home cooks, providing an all-in-one solution to elevate any dish.
Kelsey’s mission with The Spice Girl Kitchen is clear –to transform cooking into a joyful experience rather than a chore. She aims to inspire families to gather around the kitchen table, building stronger bonds through the shared love of a homemade meal. Her spices contain no salt, sugar or fillers, embodying her commitment to flavor without compromise.
Through her blog, Kelsey offers inspiration, simple yet impactful recipes and guidance on making the most of her seasonings, helping others ignite their passion for cooking and eating homemade food.
his sales reflect that, which he credits to the help of all his partners. Gannon and his team use tools such as the Inventory Management System to keep their shelves stocked and communicate with vendors to implement company goals and continue making the store the best place to shop in New Iberia.
This kind of dedication and work ethic has led his store to consistently become one of the top five highest volume stores in the company, even with competitors such as Walmart, Aldi and Rouses in his backyard.
Gannon makes sure his team knows the importance of communication. He knows how to effectively teach, train and create opportunities for partners. Gannon encourages his partners to apply for new opportunities for advancement and has led and developed some talented leaders within the company. His leadership is helping BGC to grow
In turn, she leverages that retail expertise when analyzing market data and trends to deliver growth strategies for her CPG clients. Her market leadership has delivered the sales objectives for several CPG clients and brought numerous new items to grocery retail shelves throughout the Midwest.
Renee has previously been recognized as Broker of the Year for both Lindt and Torani. During her time as a store manager at Hy-Vee, she led her store to be recognized as the Springtime Party winner one year. Renee is also a member of the Iowa Grocery Industry Association and a member of the Iowa Grocery Women’s Network.
Before coming to FAPC, he operated McNeese State University’s meat lab and retail program for more than 10 years. He brought that knowledge and skill to OSU, making its program successful. In doing so, he has managed to help the teaching program in Animal Food Sciences recover the cost of the animals used for its teaching and meat judging programs. Cowboy Meats’ retail store is only open from 1 to 5 p.m. on Fridays. But under his management, sales this fiscal year were $221,264, an increase of $107,500 from the previous fiscal year.
He has authored/co-authored 18 extension publications, with one of the most popular being a blog for consumers about beef quality.
Joel has led the Meat Mastery Training Program, whose overall goal is to leverage FAPC’s relationships with twoyear colleges and meat industry partners to prepare the workforce’s next generation. The specific objectives of the
EMERGING LEADERS
Starting with $2,000 in savings and a vision, Kelsey has built her company from the ground up. Her dedication and hard work have paid off, with The Spice Girl Kitchen’s seasoning line now available in more than 100 stores, including three grocery stores where her products have been on the shelves for over two years.
Recently, Kelsey expanded into nine additional larger grocery locations and received her first nationwide order from HomeGoods, reaching 1,000 stores across the country. She has achieved all of this without investors, business loans or significant outside assistance.
Kelsey’s story is a testament to her entrepreneurial spirit, her dedication to health and flavor and her ability to turn a passion into a thriving business. Her achievements and innovative approach to making cooking an enjoyable and accessible experience make her a deserving recipient of this this award.
leaders for the future.
Gannon has also become a pillar in the community, making an impact on the local culture and traditions in New Iberia. He and his team serve in different community events, including the Gumbo Cook-Off and Mardi Gras and Christmas parades, as well as career expos at New Iberia Senior High.
Gannon is always giving back in the community in various ways, such as helping distribute meals for the Spirit of Christmas Food Drive project or supporting the local community college. Gannon, along with his partners, works nonstop to help the community during any natural disaster to help make their lives easier. They stay later and come in early the day after to distribute free hot meals, bottled water and bagged ice to community members.
In addition, Renee inspires collaboration by sharing her knowledge and expertise when it can aid in a co-worker’s success. She also invests her time to mentor those at earlier stages in their careers and supports their professional growth.
Beyond those contributions, Renee has made an impact on her community by volunteering with several local organizations and charities, including GiGi’s Playhouse, Toys for Tots, Meals from the Heartland, American Royal Beauties (judge), Tim Tebow’s Night to Shine, Miss Amazing and the Evelyn Davis Center.
proposed program are to recruit a cohort of 60 students over three years to be trained in hands-on meat processing and develop and execute a summer training program to prepare the participants for successful careers in the meat industry.
To accomplish this goal, 20 students a year for three years will receive a five-week, hands-on meat processing training in federally inspected meat processing facilities at FAPC and the Osage Nation. Program participants receive no-cost housing at the OSU campus and a $2,000 stipend at the end. The participants also receive formal training and certificates in HACCP, GMP and sanitation.
The program just completed its second year this June, with another 20 graduates, some of whom will work at grocery store meat counters. With Joel’s leadership, the center looks forward to another successful year in 2025.
Photo credit: Oklahoma Today Magazine
2024 EMERGING LEADERS IN THE FOOD INDUSTRY
Michael Johnson
Kiolbassa Smoked Meats Chief Revenue and Marketing Officer
Michael Johnson has played an integral role in the success and growth of Kiolbassa Smoked Meats. Since starting with the company as an intern in 2007, Michael has held leadership roles in sales, marketing, finance, risk management, information technology and human resources. He was instrumental in the adoption of Values Based Leadership and the Great Game of Business,
Lotter KCB Corp. VP
Collin Lotter has taken on increasing responsibility for KCB Corp. over his 12 years with the Southlake, Texas-based
two models that have defined the company’s culture for the past 12 years.
Michael launched the Kiolbassa Business Leadership program, which takes emerging leaders from all areas and levels of the company through a 12-month intensive development and financial literacy program using the Values-Based Leadership tools of DiSC, Situational Leadership II, conflict resolution and principles of persuasion and influencing, as well as the Great Game of Business operating system. His leadership has helped the company become more data-driven as it grows. In his current role and with his background of finance and risk management, Michael has used his leadership abilities to
create alignment within the company that has helped to achieve record results.
In his spare time, Michael started Viva Brewery, which he exited in 2023 after it became the best-selling San Antonio-based craft brewery.
EMERGING LEADERS
Michael is involved in the community, serving on several nonprofit boards and committees (Mission Road Ministries, Valero Alamo Bowl Committee, Leadership San Antonio) and in his church. He and his wife, Nicole, have two daughters.
food brokerage company, currently handling account management, marketing and brand management teams.
He manages the selling efforts for a number of key accounts, including H-E-B, Safeway Southern (Albertsons, Tom Thumb, Randall’s) and G.E. Foodland.
Collin is the key brand manager for UniMax Suero, a new endeavor for KCB that he has built into a major business over the past three years.
Residing in Richardson, Texas, he enjoys a number of
Robert
Marta Brookshire Grocery Co. VP for Retail Operations
Robert Marta has served the company for nearly 25 years. He worked his way up from being a grocery stocker to becoming a leader of retail operations for more than 200 stores at BGC. He has consistently demonstrated an unwavering commitment to learn and grow professionally while also developing partners and making an impact on the communities the company serves. Throughout his career, Robert has sharpened his abilities to champion innovation, adapt and quickly solve
for change. He also has demonstrated tremendous personal engagement to improve project teams and provide critical change management coaching and mentoring to those he supervises.
One example of Robert’s leadership was piloting and implementing a Continuous Improvement 5-S Program, as well as implementing workforce management and labor standards. These projects have produced successful results while helping strengthen retail operations.
Robert exemplifies best-practice leadership by participating in the work itself. He will not limit his engagement to high-level oversight and directive. This includes his ability to get down to the task at the specific job level, as well as the ability to ask the key questions for success.
Ray Pruett
Pruett’s Food Inc.
Owner, President and CEO
Ray Pruett runs Pruett’s Food Inc., a family-owned retail grocery business with corporate offices in Broken Bow, Oklahoma. In 1995, Ray took over management responsibilities at the Broken Bow location and became majority owner and CEO of the family business in 2002. In 2010, Ray and his wife, Marcy, purchased the business. Ray was born in Greenville, Texas, and shortly after the family moved to Antlers, Oklahoma. Ray graduated from Antlers High School and attended the University of Tulsa. During his youth and high school years, he
worked in the family grocery stores. He graduated from the University of Tulsa with a double major in finance and business management and a minor in accounting. During his college years, he interned at the Tulsa Minority Business Development Center.
Ray graduated from the University of Tulsa in 1992. He and Marci married and moved into progressive management of the business. Ray and Marci have three children, Mollie, Graham and Eli, each of whom have worked in the stores and have found their way into the management of the business.
Pruett’s Food has a reputation for fresh foods and has been nationally recognized for its award-winning produce department. Further, Pruett’s has a custom-cut meat department and maintains skilled butchers to provide personalized customer service for specific cuts of meat. In addition, Ray maintains a full-service deli that specializes
activities in his downtime, including golf, tennis, yoga and going to the gym.
Collin will assume the CEO role for the company in the next couple of years.
He collaborates with partners to overcome any resistance and motivates others to improve. Robert always adapts and reframes his own perspective to better align with others, putting himself into their roles and tasks to understand their work in detail and to identify the challenges each partner or team needs to solve for success.
Robert has participated for years in a weekly church small group that is active with community service. Over the years, the group has provided support to each other, the larger church and the neighborhoods and communities the church sponsors. Beyond the scope of formal church mission, Robert carries humility and a servant’s heart, which he has grown into practical mentoring and coaching skills at work, leading by example through kindness, listening and willingness to put himself in service of others.
in hot meals and fresh salads and caters for large and small special events and gatherings.
Pruett’s Food Inc. has grocery stores in 13 locations in three states (Oklahoma, Arkansas and Texas). Ray employs more than 1,000 people and his annual revenue is more than $250 million. He has a focus on growth in the greater Oklahoma City area and has a passion for developing relationships with the customer base that patronizes these stores.
Pruett’s Food Inc. is a member of Associated Wholesale Grocers, the largest cooperative food wholesaler to independently-owned supermarkets in America. Ray is also a member of the Made-In-Oklahoma Coalition, a trade group with a mission to grow Oklahoma grown, produced, processed and sold agricultural products. Ray is active in his local church and in his community.
Collin
2024 EMERGING LEADERS IN THE FOOD INDUSTRY
Scott Van Overmeiren Schraad Sales & Marketing Business Development Manager
Scott Van Overmeiren serves CPG clients at regional grocers throughout the Minneapolis marketplace. He focuses on helping them build their business by simplifying yet maximizing promotional performance and improving SKU assortment. He ensures they maintain category leadership by monitoring competitive activity and taking proactive trade actions to minimize any sales impact from potential threats.
Scott will leverage food shows and industry events to impact CPG brand recognition and trade relationships,
which in turn aids in driving sales and delivering brand growth. While Scott will maximize traditional trade events, he also will leverage non-traditional tactics and create his own approaches to the market to ensure he delivers for his clients.
For instance, when a vendor had major supply issues during COVID-19, it considered retracting from the market by eliminating promotional spending with downstream customer groups, creating a risk for significant distribution losses. Scott convinced the client that transparent, dependable communication with the customers would garner support as it worked through supply issues.
With the company’s cooperation, he worked out a cadence for communication on supply that kept all downstream customers informed in a timely manner. He then reworked the promotional strategy to reduce lump sums but still provide consumer discounts, allowing the
client to stay competitive in the category.
By remaining competitive, the the client avoided any distribution losses and held sales flat during a constrained supply period.
EMERGING LEADERS
Once supply returned to normal levels, thanks to this strategic approach the client was in good standing with the downstream customers, distribution was intact and it was able to start driving sales growth.
Scott is a member of the Minnesota Grocers Association. He has been recognized as the Sugar Foods Regional Account Executive in 2023 and was named Retail Representative of the Year earlier in his career at Bolthouse Farms.
Sean Webb
Brookshire Grocery Co.
Store Director
Sean Webb directs the FRESH by Brookshire’s in Fate, Texas. Sean has made an impact on the 250 employees who work at his store and on many throughout the company. In the two years since it opened, Sean has led one of the company’s most successful stores. The numbers speak for themselves due to Sean’s tenacity in inspiring those around him to apply the “right effort.”
Sean is an intentional communicator. He does not need to be the loudest person in the room. However, when Sean speaks, his team members pay attention because what he says has meaning and purpose in their lives. Sean’s ability to make the store staff feel like they are consistently winning inspires a strong sense of teamwork and demonstrates that their efforts are making a difference.
The store has many leaders who were quiet when they started working there two years ago, afraid to say anything and did not think for themselves. These employees now have a higher self-worth and confidence in making a difference, no matter their position in the company.
Sean is a great teacher of the business and a great listener, which is the most vital leadership quality and one that many leaders lack. Through his ability to be a great listener, he always stays mindful, which allows him to take the right action while staying aware of the person to whom he is listening.
Sean has had to overcome many obstacles but has continued to be a business student who learns from a mistake and does not dwell on the error. Sean does not look for others to fall into a problem; he quickly owns the mistake and finds ways to prevent it from happening again.
Sean seeks out ways to build sales at his store by having special events that sell more products than other stores do in total volume. Sean, through his patience and teaching, has opened the eyes of staff to see that it’s more than just sales – it’s the impact that will make their lives easier and more sustainable.
One recent program the company rolled out was to realign scheduling through earned hours. Sean remained positive when others were critical. He has taken the time to show his support for the program while teaching others how it works and how it will be beneficial in the long run. Through his leadership, the store is one of the tops in the rollout.
