NGA Foundation’s 2018 Executive Leadership Development Program Reveals Graduates

Thirty-eight grocery executives have completed the NGA Foundation’s 2018 Executive Leadership Development Program (ELDP). The program took place June 3-7 at Cornell University, in Ithaca, N.Y.

“The next generation of leaders and executives will continue to face the shifts and ubiquitous change within the supermarket industry, and it is critically important that we invest in these rising executives through development and leadership training for the long-term success of the industry,” said Matt Ott, executive director of the Arlington, Va.-based NGA Foundation, who described ELDP as “a best-in-class program that has helped to grow the careers of many of its graduates.”

ELDP aims to help independent supermarket operators and wholesalers develop leaders from within their organizations who can respond to business challenges in the modern marketplace. The high-impact learning opportunity for rising grocery executives provides interactive instruction presented by academic and industry leaders alike.

Supported for the past 15 years by PepsiCo, the program has since its inception trained more than 500 leaders in the independent grocery sector.

The 2018 ELDP graduates are:

• Brahm Ahmadi, president and CEO, People’s Community Market
• Alan Atwood, retail counselor, Merchants Distributors LLC (MDI)
• Jim Baldwin, store director, ShopRite Supermarkets Inc.
• Patrick Brennan, buyer, Certco
• Megan Breunig, buyer, Certco
• Jeff Brown, retail manager, Piggly Wiggly Alabama Dist. Co.
• Colleen Casey, store director, Ravitz Family Markets
• Chad Crow, director of facility services, Brookshire Grocery Co.
• Cary Cunningham, district manager, Harps Food Stores Inc.
• Kristof Duna, director of private brands, Merchants Distributors LLC (MDI)
• Wilbur Fabre Jr., director of outbound, Associated Grocers Inc.
• Courtney Fagan, senior legislative representative, Wakefern Food Corp.
• Neil Fandel, director of supply chain and logistics, Coborn’s Inc.
• Michael Gay, store manager, Foodfresh
• Curtis Hathenbruck, store director, Harmons
• Mike Hoch, category manager, Associated Wholesale Grocers
• Mark Hubbard, district manager, K-VA-T Food Stores Inc. (doing business as Food City)
• Margo Johnson, store director, Hugo’s Family Marketplace
• Chris Jones, VP, government relations and counsel, National Grocers Association
• Melissa Kenny, director of sales and marketing, Kenny Family ShopRites of Delaware
• Shannon Kincade, director of general merchandise, Harps Food Stores Inc.
• Kyle Kurr, category manager – frozen, Coborn’s Inc.
• Jana Luzzi, general manager, Harvest Market/Cypress Holdings Inc.
• Tucker Lynn, category manager, Wakefern Food Corp.
• Ryan Maloney, corporate merchandising manager, Wakefern Food Corp.
• Michelle Mendoza, director of marketing, Associated Supermarket Group
• Mackinley Moise, assistant store manager, ShopRite Supermarkets Inc.
• Kevin Morgan, director of perishables, Ravitz Family Markets
• Brandon Mowell, district manager, K-VA-T Food Stores Inc. (doing business as Food City)
• Grace Richards, assistant store manager, ShopRite Supermarkets Inc.
• Jack Rohrbaugh, Wooster Milltown store manager, Buehler’s Fresh Foods
• Michael Sharpe, key account representative Canada, FMS Solutions Holdings LLC
• Heather Standifer, category manager, Associated Wholesale Grocers
• Kevin Thompson, food operations executive, S. L. Horsfords & Co Ltd.
• Chris Wagner, director of meat and seafood merchandising, ShopRite Supermarkets Inc.
• David Walpuck, quality assurance specialist, ShopRite Supermarkets Inc.
• Bobby Williams, director of benefits and compensation, Associated Grocers Inc.
• Lynn Young, pharmacy district manager, Coborn’s Inc.