More Awards Bestowed at FMI Midwinter
The Food Marketing Institute honored several more industry notables at its Midwinter Executive Conference wrapping up today in Phoenix. Tim Devanney of Highland Park Market Inc. has received the FMI Glen P. Woodard, Jr. Public Affairs Award, while Del Monte Foods’ Richard G. Wolford and Unilever’s Arthur B. Drogue were joint recipients of the William H. Albers Industry Relations Award.
Devanney, who is Highland Park Market’s president, was recognized for being at the forefront in dealing with government issues of importance to the grocery industry. After growing up in the grocery business, he took over daily operations of Manchester, Conn.-based Highland Park Market in the late 1980s.
Over the course of his career, he has represented the interests of the supermarket industry at both the state and federal levels, serving as a member of the FMI board of directors since 2002 and as chairman of the Independent Operator Committee. In his capacity as a board member, Devanney is actively involved in public policy initiatives that affect the food retail industry. He’s also in the middle of his second term as chairman of the Connecticut Food Association.
Devanney is the 16th recipient of the Woodard Award, named for Glen Woodard, who led public affairs advocacy in the supermarket industry during the second half of the 20th century, representing Winn-Dixie Stores Inc. and FMI.
Wolford, chairman, president and CEO of Del Monte Foods and retired Unilever SVP Drogue received the Albers Award for their excellence in trading partner relations and consumer and community service.
Beginning his food industry at Dole Foods in 1967, Wolford became CEO of San Francisco-based Del Monte Foods in 1997 after helping the company TPG to acquire the company, and later was elected president and chairman. Under his leadership, Del Monte is committed to promoting healthy diets and lifestyles through such endeavors as sponsorship of the American Heart Association’s Start! San Francisco Heart Walk for the past five years, which has raised nearly $3 million for cardiovascular disease research, education and prevention.
An active member of the Grocery Manufacturers Association (GMA), Wolford currently serves as chairman of its board of directors.
Recently retired after more than 11 years at Englewood Cliffs, N.J.-based Unilever, Drogue led the company's U.S. customer development organization during eight years of outstanding growth and success while merging five separate companies. He is also credited as having developed Unilever's community improvement policy, which furthered such projects as renovating a playground and building homes for Habitat for Humanity. Before joining Unilever, Drogue worked at such companies as Best Foods, Nabisco,and Gneral Mills, as well as being a consultant. He currently has his own consulting firm, Drogue & Co.
Drogue has served as chairman of the Global Marketing Committee of the Consumer Goods Forum, the GS1 board of governors and the GMA.
The William H. Albers Award was first bestowed in 1955 to pay tribute to the first chairman of the Super Market Institute, one of FMI’s forerunners.