Keasbey, NJ – Wakefern Food Corp., the largest retailer-owned cooperative in the U.S. and the merchandising and distribution arm for ShopRite stores, today announced the Wakefern, ShopRite Supermarkets, Inc. and ShopRite of Carteret recipients of the 2019 YWCA “Tribute to Women and Industry” (TWIN) Award. The YWCA TWIN Award Dinner May 16 recognized the achievements and significant contributions made by women within their industries in managerial, executive, supervisory and/or professional roles, and was hosted by the YWCA Union County, a nonprofit organization. The YWCA TWIN Awards also recognize businesses whose policies and practices encourage high achievement by women and who promote equal advancement opportunities for women of diverse backgrounds.
Honorees this year include ShopRite and Wakefern associates whose leadership and expertise have contributed to the success of the cooperative and its ShopRite stores. Wakefern honorees include: Melissa Sungela, Vice President of Corporate Finance and Tax; Grace Cuffy, Senior Supervising Paralegal; Susan Miller, Senior Supervisor, Asset Protection, andTina Brandt, Supervisor of Fresh Bake Merchandisers. From the ShopRite side: Theresa Serluco, Chief Financial Officer, ShopRite of Carteret; Peggy Broccoli, Manager of Front End, ShopRite Supermarkets, Inc., and Eleanor Fallon, Manager, SRS Envoy Services, LLC.
About the Wakefern Honorees:
Melissa Sungela, Vice President of Corporate Finance and Tax, Wakefern Food Corp.
Melissa Sungela leads the Finance Transformation Project to implement automated solutions and provide proactive analysis and insights into new tax reforms at both the federal and local levels. She also leads implementation of new accounting regulatory changes such as the new Financial Accounting Standards Board (FASB) rules for Lease Accounting and Revenue Recognition, including related system and process changes. Since joining Wakefern in 2016, Sungela has led company compliance with several new tax laws, including the Tax Cut and Jobs Act of 2017, and sales tax audits.
Grace Cuffy, Senior Supervising Paralegal, Wakefern Food Corp.
Grace Cuffy’s responsibilities include managing Wakefern’s extensive Intellectual Properties portfolio, along with overseeing the company’s ongoing implementation of processes, protocols and technology. Since joining Wakefern in 2008, Cuffy identified and launched several technology platforms, including a document management system, e-billing, corporate records retention, annual reporting, and license and registration. She is a past winner of Wakefern’s Customer Service Excellence award.
Susan Miller, Asset Protection Senior Supervisor, Wakefern Food Corp.
Susan Miller is a senior supervisor in Asset Protection, where she leads a group of nearly 20 people in protecting assets at two Wakefern facilities. She previously worked in Labor Relations and Safety and Workers Compensation and her work with union associates and operations management helped Wakefern gain approval as an OSHA VPP (Voluntary Protection Program) site. The designation recognizes Wakefern’s commitment to reducing workplace injuries and ensuring the management of the safety and health programs. Miller, who joined Wakefern Asset Protection in 1994, is also a Hazardous Materials Operations Technician, an Emergency Medical Technician, a Crisis Prevention Institute Instructor and a member of the New Jersey Food Council and the American Society of Industrial Security.
Tina Brandt, Supervisor of Fresh Bake Merchandisers, Wakefern Food Corp.
Tina Brandt currently leads and mentors a staff of six Wakefern Fresh Bake merchandisers who work in ShopRite stores. She oversees the scheduling of 30 retail technicians and collaborates with the engineering team to devise fresh merchandising bakery prototypes. Since joining Wakefern in 1998, Brandt has worked on several programs to support ShopRite stores, including the development and oversight of a comprehensive Bakery training and education program. She also participated in the development of web-based training and orientation for new hires at retail.
About the ShopRite Honorees:
Theresa Serluco, Chief Financial Officer and an owner and operator of the ShopRite of Carteret
Theresa Serluco has helped run her family’s ShopRite of Carteret for more than 50 years, starting out as a cashier at the store when she was just in high school. Today she serves as CFO of the business, responsible for cash management and expense review of the store. Throughout the years she has created detailed procedures and protocols that have decreased error rates and increased productivity at the supermarket, helping to create a successful business that has long served the Carteret community.
Peggy Broccoli, Manager of Front End, ShopRite Supermarkets, Inc.
Peggy Broccoli is responsible for overseeing the front end of 35 ShopRite stores in New York and New Jersey. Recent accomplishments include the rollout of a new comprehensive scheduling program, successfully transitioning front-end operations for two new stores and her contributions to the President’s Strategy Development sessions. Broccoli is a member of Wakefern’s Self-Checkout Task Force and a respected member of the subcommittee responsible for developing training programs for the front end.
Eleanor Fallon, Manager, SRS Envoy Services, LLC
Eleanor Fallon has been part of the retail supermarket industry since 2009, advancing from entry level to manager of SRS Envoy Services, a subsidiary of ShopRite Supermarkets. In this role, Eleanor has piloted new programs including new software and management of the Envoy home delivery fleet, all to improve efficiency and reduce cost for ShopRite and the supermarket’s online shopping platform, ShopRite from Home.
About Wakefern
From a small, local cooperative that began with eight grocery store owners, Wakefern Food Corp. has grown into the largest retailer-owned cooperative in the United States. Founded in 1946, the cooperative comprises 50 members who today independently own and operate 354 supermarkets under the ShopRite, The Fresh Grocer, Price Rite and Dearborn Market banners in New Jersey, New York, Connecticut, Pennsylvania, Maryland, Delaware, Massachusetts, Rhode Island and Virginia. Together with its member companies, Wakefern employs more than 70,000 people, and is one of the largest employers in New Jersey. For more information, please visit www.wakefern.com.
About ShopRite
ShopRite is the registered trademark of Wakefern Food Corp., a retailer-owned cooperative based in Keasbey, NJ, and the largest supermarket cooperative in the United States. With 276 ShopRite supermarkets located throughout New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Connecticut, Delaware and Maryland, ShopRite serves more than six million customers each week. Through its ShopRite Partners In Caring program, ShopRite is dedicated to fighting hunger in the communities it serves. Since the program began in 1999, ShopRite Partners In Caring has donated $48 million to food banks that support more than 2,200 worthy charities. As a title sponsor of the ShopRite LPGA Classic Presented by Acer, ShopRite has donated $31 million to local organizations, hospitals and community groups. For more information, please visit www.shoprite.com.
Tribute to Women and Industry (TWIN)
TWIN mission is to honor women who have excelled in their fields and made significant contributions to industry in executive, managerial and professional roles and to salute corporations whose policies and practices encourage high achievement by women and who promote equal advancement opportunities for women of diverse backgrounds. Through TWIN, the YWCA encourages women to consider and to prepare for a wider range of career opportunities and to help make significant contributions to the workplace.
