Hy-Vee Launches Chairman’s Awards

Randy Edeker, the chairman, president and CEO of Hy-Vee Inc., this week honored 11 of the Midwestern grocery chain’s employees with the newly announced Chairman’s Spirit of Hy-Vee Award, which recognizes employees who have exemplified Hy-Vee’s fundamentals over the course of their careers.

Additionally, the Chairman’s Leadership Above and Beyond Award was presented to 14 employees who exceptionally performed their jobs throughout the past year.

The first-ever recipients of the Chairman’s Spirit of Hy-Vee Award are as follows:

• Bob Egeland, VP pharmacy
• Rob Eslick, district VP southwest district
• Kenan Judge, group VP, meat operations
• Kevin Reeve, VP accounting, controller
• Scott Schlatter,  store director, Lenox Village Hy-Vee, Lincoln, Neb.
• Tim Stupka, district VP, northwest district
• Randy Summerville, retired store director, Langsford Landing Hy-Vee, Lee’s Summit, Mo.
• Chao Sun, food service supervisor
• Richard Sytsma, director, data center operations
• Doug Wallace, assistant VP, Hy-Vee Inc.; president, D&D Foods
• Stan Wright, network services supervisor

 The 2015 Chairman’s Leadership Above and Beyond Award recipients are as follows:

• Sara Canady, director, brand/image
• Tara Deering-Hansen, group VP, communications
• Shelby Endicott, purchasing specialist, general merchandise
• Jim Ewoldt, store director, 156th & Maple Hy-Vee, Omaha, Neb.
• Kurt Hasson, assistant VP, Hy-Vee Direct, e-commerce
• Kristine Jones, group VP, employee benefits
• Kevin Jurasek, director, Hy-Vee Conference Center & cafeteria
• Lindsay Knoop, assistant VP, Hy-Vee Inc.; VP controller, Amber Pharmacy
• Jim Moore, group VP, warehousing/transportation
• Lynn Popson, purchasing specialist, pharmacy
• Tarci Slaybaugh, store director, 51st and Center Hy-Vee, Omaha
• Aaron Wiese, assistant VP, Hy-Vee Inc.; COO, Amber Pharmacy
• Joel Wilson, assistant VP, HealthMarket
• Frank Woodward, district VP, western district

Hall of famers

Twelve people were named to the Hy-Vee Hall of Fame, which recognizes employees in categories relating to job performance and community involvement. Honorees were nominated by their peers, with the exception of the 2015 Chairman’s Humanitarian Award winner, who was chosen by Edeker.

2015 Hy-Vee Hall of Fame honorees are as follows:

• Department Director of the Year: Brooke Barnes, assistant VP, restaurant development
• Staff Member of the Year: Andy Schroeder, assistant VP, financial reporting
• Retail Supervisor of the Year: Don Wilkens, retail bakery supervisor
• Officer of the Year, Operations:  Kenan Judge, group VP, meat operations
• Officer of the Year, Administration: Christy Myers, assistant VP, point of sale
• Officer of the Year, Vice President: Mike Skokan, executive VP, CFO, treasurer
• Chairman’s Humanitarian Award: Jon Wendel, executive VP, chief merchandising officer
• Community Involvement Award, Staff Member: Tim Stupka, district VP of Hy-Vee’s northwest district
• Community Involvement Award, Store Director: Ric Anderson, Marshalltown Hy-Vee store director
• Store Director of the Year, Western Region: Jim Ewoldt, store director, 156th & Maple Hy-Vee, Omaha
• Store Director of the Year, Eastern Region: Kent Cole, store director, Johnson Avenue Hy-Vee Drugstore, Cedar Rapids, Iowa
• Store Director of the Year, Northern Region, Wes Snook, store director North Ankeny Boulevard Hy-Vee, Ankeny, Iowa

West Des Moines, Iowa-based Hy-Vee Inc. is an employee-owned corporation operating 240 retail stores across eight Midwestern states with sales of more than $9.3 billion annually.