The 2019 Top Women in Store Brands Unveiled

Each year, Store Brands, Progressive Grocer's sister brand, and Women Impacting Store Brand Excellence (WISE), a professional development organization, select a few women through the Top Women in Store Brands program, which was created to provide well-deserved recognition for female professionals who have achieved exceptional success and bring a passion for store brands to their day-to-day activities.

This year’s categories of recognition include six Functional Expertise areas: research and development/quality assurance; supply chain/procurement; operations; sales, marketing merchandising; and corporate services. These awards are given to women who have made a significant professional contribution to their companies and/or the store brand industry through their accomplishments in their respective fields.

There is also the Innovation Award, given to a woman who has brought game-changing innovation to her company and/or the store brand industry through the introduction of new products, packaging, technology and other functional areas. The Sparkplug Award is given to a woman who is relatively new to store brands and has made a noticeable impact.

Finally, there is the Lifetime Achievement Award, given to a woman who has spent the majority of her career in store brands and has “made her mark” through professional achievements, as well as personal contributions to her employer(s), colleagues, community and the industry.

Here are this year’s honorees:

• Julie Jevins, senior manager of product development, Albertsons Cos. — Functional Expertise: R&D/QA Award.

• Anitra Farmer, director of human resources and facilities, Topco Associates LLC — Functional Expertise: Corporate Services Award.

• Lisa Schechterman, director of marketing, Great Lakes Cheese Co. — Functional Expertise: Marketing/Merchandising Award.

• Sarah Fair, director of creative services, Daymon — Functional Expertise: Operations Award.

• Lisa Eatherton, business manager, John B. Sanfilippo & Son Inc. — Functional Expertise: Sales Award.

• Jill Truitt, vice president of contract manufacturing, TreeHouse Foods — Functional Expertise: Supply Chain/Procurement Award.

• Angela LePore, senior food technologist, Simmons Pet Food — Sparkplug Award.

• Robin Beck, senior scientist, Target Corp. — Innovation Award

• Hope Schoeffling, vice president of retail sales for Camerican International — Lifetime Achievement.

Read more about the 2019 honorees in the October issue of Store Brands and online.