Meijer Bestows Legacy Awards

Highest company honor goes to 8 associates

4/7/2022

Meijer’s Legacy Award Winners, top row, left to right: Kevin Hurn, Angel Cuevas, David Le, Carla Hendon; bottom row, left to right: Melissa Tinkham, Robert Ostroff, Kelvin McGill, Jeffrey Marentette

Meijer has revealed the winners of its 2021 Legacy Awards, which recognize eight of the company’s employees across the Midwest for their impact on their teams, customers and communities. The highest recognition that a Meijer associate can receive, the Legacy Awards have two categories: the Fred Meijer Award and the President’s Award.

“Our team members make everything our customers see in our stores possible,” said Meijer Executive Chairman Hank Meijer. “These awards honor team members throughout the company who are leaving a legacy on their teams and communities. We’re proud to have them.”

Kevin Hurn, R. Ph., director of pharmacy procurement and new business, received the 2021 Fred Meijer Award, the company’s highest-level associate recognition. This award goes annually to a person who embodies the values and mission of founder Fred Meijer, including leadership grounded in humility, generosity and a passion for serving others.

During his 35 years at Meijer, Hurn has spearheaded many major pharmacy programs, among them acquiring specialty pharmacy offerings for patients with chronic and difficult-to-manage conditions. He also played a key role in the retailer’s COVID-19 vaccination program, managing its vaccine inventory to keep Meijer’s pharmacies and mass clinics stocked. More recently, Hurn organized the retailer’s free N95 mask initiative in partnership with the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services, making Meijer one of the first major retailers to offer masks from the national stockpile.

When not at work, Hurn raises service dogs for Paws with a Cause, builds houses with Habitat for Humanity and travels to Haiti on humanitarian aid trips.

“Kevin Hurn truly lives out our purpose of enriching lives in the communities we serve every day, not because he wants the credit, but because it’s what he knows is right,” noted Meijer. “He’s recognized by his colleagues as a ‘humble visionary,’ which reminds me of how people spoke about my father, making this award in his honor especially fitting.”

The company also acknowledged seven winners of the 2021 President’s Award for their significant business contributions in the past year:

Angel Cuevas, distribution facility clerk in Tipp City, Ohio
Carla Hendon, director of supplier diversity and indirect procurement in Grand Rapids, Mich.
David Le, R. Ph., pharmacy team leader at the Sawmill Road Meijer in Columbus, Ohio
Jeffrey Marentette, R. Ph., senior enterprise architect-pharmacy, ITS in Grand Rapids, Mich.
Kelvin McGill, warehouse clerk in Lansing, Mich.
Robert Ostroff, store director of the Alpine Avenue Meijer in Walker, Mich.
Melissa Tinkham, customer service and general merchandise line leader at the Fremont Meijer in Fremont, Mich.

“This year’s President’s Award winners exemplify the reason we began the Legacy Awards tradition – they reflect the wide impact our team members are making on our business and in our communities,” observed Rick Keyes, Meijer’s president and CEO. “Looking at the breadth of their accomplishments reminds us that an individual can always make a difference.”

Grand Rapids, Mich.-based Meijer operates more than 258 supercenters and grocery stores throughout Michigan, Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, Kentucky and Wisconsin. The company is No. 18 on The PG 100, Progressive Grocer’s 2021 list of the top food retailers in North America.