Wonder Women
Progressive Grocer pays tribute to this year's exemplary slate of Top Women in Grocery.
What makes a Top Woman in Grocery? Every year, faced with the monumental task of evaluating hundreds of submissions on behalf of talented candidates from retailers, wholesalers and suppliers, we at Progressive Grocer must narrow the field to the best of the best.
In making our annual list, we seek specific accomplishments for the past year, including innovative company initiatives implemented, ambitious projects undertaken, complex problems solved, important responsibilities taken on, well-deserved honors conferred, and meaningful activities related to charitable or professional organization memberships. Above all, however, what we look for are those who go above and beyond.
Here are just a few stellar examples from among this year's Top Women:
- Ahold USA VP Associate Engagement & Development Andrea Eldridge's stepping up to lead the company's District Director Academy project late in its evolution;
- CommonKindness Co-founder and President Sarah Schloemer's reinvention of the online coupon model to create a sustainable funding source for nonprofit groups;
- Cerland Corp. POS Auditor/Trainer Gloria Bray's activities with the nonprofit Workfaith Connection, to help those deserving of a second chance to find and maintain employment;
- Kroger Co./King Soopers District Coordinator Danna Edwards' mentorship of six produce clerks and three floral clerks into management roles;
- Bi-Lo/Winn-Dixie Store Director Tina West's work with local special-needs students in Northport, Ala., to prepare them for gainful employment; and
- Publix Store Manager Heather Strickland's introduction of "Rock Star" awards at her Orlando, Fla., store to honor those associates who best exemplify the grocer's standards for service, selling and teamwork.
All of the above nominees, and the 229 others chosen as Top Women in Grocery this year, embody the best of the food retail industry, finding a way, despite sometimes significant professional and personal challenges, to excel at their jobs, their relationships with their colleagues and their outreach to surrounding communities.
With associates like these to keep the current industry outlook strong and position it for future success, grocers are wise to look upon their many female associates as one of their most precious resources. As always, this year's Top Women in Grocery are wonders indeed.
Store Managers
Kim Trincia
DIRECTOR, STORE #7828, HOCKESSIN, DEL, ACME MARKETS INC.
Having worked her way up through the ranks from clerk, with various stops along the way in positions of increasing importance, Kim Trincia, store director of Acme Markets' Hockessin, Del., location, has hit her stride. Overseeing more than 150 employees in the busy location where she has full accountability for sales, profitability, hiring, expense management and community involvement, Trincia has made her mark in other stores, including previously managing Acme's newest and first green store, which is thriving in Concordville, Pa. Presiding over a $3 million remodel, for which she was directly responsible for hiring, construction schedules and project timelines, Trincia also managed to maintain her store's sales and earnings goals amid extensive construction. Once it was completed, she guided the Hockessin store — and its new signature departments, like an expanded deli and hot food presentation, new organic offerings, and a full-service seafood market — to exceptional performance. One of her most notable achievements was building the deli team to achieve double-digit sales gains. Previously earning companywide distinction as a "Great Store Director," Trincia led her district's breast cancer drive with a $40,000 contribution.