WASHINGTON, D.C. – The United Fresh Foundation has announced record nominations for the 2011 United Fresh Retail Produce Manager Awards Program. The nomination period, which closed February 7, drew more than 230 nominations from more than 50 different retail banners.
This is the seventh year of the Retail Produce Manager Awards Program, which was established in 2005 through the support of founding sponsor Ready Pac Foods, Inc. The program pays recognition to those on the front line in supermarkets working everyday to increase sales and consumption of fresh fruits and vegetables.
Twenty-five retail produce managers will be honored at the 2011 United Fresh convention, May 2-5 in New Orleans. The winners will be selected by a committee of produce industry leaders including Nelia Alamo, Gills Onions; Francine Eskenazi, Ready Pac Foods; Stacey Larson, OMG Delivers; Randy Marcum, Cabbage, Inc.; Dick Spezzano, Spezzano Consulting; and Kaari Stannard, NY Apple Sales. The winners will be announced in March and will be judged on a range of criteria, including:
• Commitment to customer satisfaction and promotion of fresh produce
• Innovative merchandising, special displays and sampling programs, such as participation in Fruits and Veggies: More Matters campaigns, commodity promotions, etc.
• Produce-related community service or outreach, such as adopt-a-school programs, school tours, community service projects, etc.
• Recognition among company peers
“We are so proud of all of the nominees and want to thank every company who submitted a nomination for this year’s program,” said Victoria Backer, United Fresh senior vice president of member services, foundation. “The efforts made by these men and women every day are truly changing the way consumers experience the produce department, and we extend our utmost thanks to each and every one of them.”
The 25 winners and their corporate produce directors will receive complimentary airfare, hotel accommodations and registrations to United Fresh 2011. The winners will be honored at the annual United Fresh Awards Banquet on Thursday, May 4, where five grand prize winners will be announced as recipients of an additional $1,000 cash prize.
The 2010 Retail Produce Manager Award winners included:
• Douglas Collins, Food City, Prestonsburg, Ky.
• Lynette DeClerck, Niemann Foods, Inc., Pana, Ill.
• Brent Doud, Safeway Stores, Inc., Albany, Ore.
• Samuel D. Fannin, The Kroger Co., Reynoldsburg, Ohio
• Jeff Freeman, Save Mart, Clovis, Calif.
• Judy Gauthier, Buy-Low Foods, Athabasca, Alberta, Canada
• James Grande, King Soopers, Aurora, Colo.
• Steve Gray, MOM's Organic Market, Frederick, Md.
• Cris Gutierrez, Raley's Family of Fine Stores, Reno, Nev.
• Angela Hamilton, Al's Supermarkets, La Porte, Ind.
• Claudette Johnson, Jewel-Osco, Plainfield, Ill.
• Lannie W. Kiser Jr., Brookshire Grocery Co., Kaufman, Texas
• Valerie Lambert, Food City, Wise, Va.
• Ryan Lindner, Hy-Vee, Inc., Madison, Wis.
• Jeff Oelfke, Chief Supermarket, Inc., Bryan, Ohio
• Joseph Ortiz, Brookshire Grocery Co., Monroe, La.
• Lisa Paulis, Vons, La Jolla, Calif.
• Shawn Seely. Price Chopper Supermarkets/Golub Corp., Edwardsville, Pa.
• Rick Stolarik, Big Y Foods, Inc., Tolland, Conn.
• John Thut, Bel Air Markets; Raley's Family of Fine Stores, Sacramento, Calif.
• Gary Viall, Hannaford Bros. Company, Colonie, N.Y.
• Juronald Williams, Ord Community Commissary, Seaside, Calif.
• Willie L. Williams Jr., The Kroger Co., Englewood, Ohio
• John Wombacher, Hy-Vee, Inc., Iowa City, Iowa
• Craig Yamane, Bel Air Markets; Raley's Family of Fine Stores, Sacramento, Calif.
Source: United Fresh Produce Association