Food Lion Names Rhonda Mauldin Store Manager of the Year
Rhonda Mauldin has been named Food Lion's 2014 Store Manager of the Year. Mauldin, manager of the banner's Simpsonville, S.C., location, was chosen from a group of more than 1,100 store managers across the company.
"I really don't think of myself as an exceptional store manager; however, what I do think of as exceptional is my team," Mauldin remarked on receiving the award. "They really are the reason I'm here today, and I'm honored to accept this award on their behalf."
The award presentation took place at Food Lion's headquarters in Salisbury, N.C., during an event attended by Mauldin's family and colleagues. In addition to this latest honor, she has received store manager excellence awards for her work at Bloom and Food Lion stores in 2009, 2010, 2013 and 2014, and was a PG Top Woman in Grocery in the Store Manager category in 2014.
"Our store managers are the face of Food Lion to our customers," noted Food Lion President Meg Ham. "Rhonda personifies this every day by running a great store, teaching and training associates, mentoring future leaders, and caring for our customers and her community through outstanding service. Her store is always one of the top stores in donating meals and time for her local food bank. She is an exceptional leader, has developed an outstanding team and is so deserving of this honor. We're proud to have her as part of the Food Lion team."
A veteran of the grocery store industry of nearly 30 years’ standing, Mauldin joined Food Lion in February 2006 as a dry assistant manager in Anderson, S.C. Within a year, she was promoted to manager of the Seneca, S.C., store, and in 2007 transferred to the Simpsonville location.
To pay tribute to Mauldin and her commitment to community service, the company is donating $2,000 in her name to her store's local feeding agency, Harvest Hope Food Bank, in Greenville, S.C., which Mauldin and her team support through year-round food donations and volunteerism.
Additionally, Food Lion has recognized store managers for their exceptional leadership with the 2014 Division Store Manager Excellence Award: Paul Goodnight, Cary, N.C. (Central Division); James Felix, Mitchellville, Md. (Northern Division); and Kevin Foy, Kinston N.C. (Mid-Atlantic Division). The banner will donate $1,000 each to the winners' stores' local feeding agencies.
With more than 1,100 stores in 10 Southeastern and Mid-Atlantic states, and more than 63,000 associates, Food Lion is a company of Delhaize America, the U.S. division of Brussels-based Delhaize Group.