Women Leading Grocery Stores in 2025: Store Managers' Ultimate Ranking
Progressive Grocer has announced the honourees for its 2025 Top Women in Grocery awards program, which recognises female achievers across various sectors of the North American food retail and grocery industries. The awards program celebrates women who have demonstrated exceptional leadership, strategic innovation, and operational excellence in their roles.
This year's honourees have made significant contributions to their respective stores and organisations, driving sales growth, improving audit results, and instilling knowledge within their teams. Here are some of the outstanding women who have been recognised:
Amy Stainbrook, Store Manager of Giant Food Store #303 in Baltimore, has achieved year-over-year sales growth, excellent audit results, and has instilled knowledge through her department management team.
Alicia Jones, Store Leader of Kroger Store #685 in Atlanta, has led her location to consistently exceed performance benchmarks and has earned recognition for both customer satisfaction and financial achievements.
Nicole Draper, Store Leader of Kroger Store #436 in Frankenmuth, Mich., has led two stores in 2024, including her current location in Frankenmuth, Mich., and at both sites, she has sparked improvements in performance metrics, customer satisfaction, and financial growth.
Liz Mercado Martinez, Store Leader of Ralphs Store #118 in Murrieta, Calif., has achieved exceptional composite scores this year, consistently maintaining an 85%-90% rating.
Sheronda Irick, Store Director of Harris Teeter Store #118 in Holly Springs, N.C., has achieved an average scan audit score of 3 or lower and consistently maintained fewer than 30 outs on the out-of-stock scan.
Vannessa Valdivia, Assistant Store Manager of Save Mart Store #105 in Riverbank, Calif., has helped with a multimillion-dollar remodel and launched successful new programs that were expanded to other stores.
Andrea McHone, Store Director of Albertsons Store #1266 in Truckee, Calif., has achieved great 2024 sales, set team expectations, and trained her associates.
Kimberly Barber, Store Director of Lowes Foods Store #188 in Jamestown, N.C., has led a store remodel last year and has helped the location not only transition smoothly, but also since experienced double-digit sales increases week after week.
Lavee Steblay, Store Director of Albertsons Store #2549 in Mission Viejo, Calif., has turned a struggling store into the top-scoring store in a struggling district.
Sherry Beitler, Store Manager of Giant Store #6501 in Ephrata, Pa., has exceeded performance expectations and contributed to leadership initiatives and operational improvements across the organisation.
Maria Garay Palmer, Store Director of Safeway Store #1834 in Dutch Harbor, Alaska, has trained her team on best practices in ordering to ensure that the store would be able to handle unforeseen delivery issues.
Jessica Lees, Assistant Store Manager Fresh at Giant Store #6074 in Allentown, Pa., has designed, constructed, and piloted an entirely new mobile training site for front-end store roles.
Ranee Ward, Store Leader of Kroger Store #670 in Powell, Tenn., has improved her store's scorecard to more than 90% and driven a 6% year-over-year sales increase.
Elizabeth Brewster, Store Director of Lowes Foods Store #191 in Raleigh, N.C., has battled a competitive opening but came out ahead of budget, with every department achieving its department yield, nonperishable inventory results performing better than tracking, and guest trip frequency higher than the division average.
Leighanne Heitkamp, Store Director of Meijer Store #235 in Marysville, Ohio, has taken the time to connect with new hires to ensure that they were satisfied in their roles, and if they weren't, she assisted them in finding suitable positions within the store.
Robin Clavelle-Wright, Store Director of Jewel-Osco Store #3288 in Oak Park, Ill., has beaten EBITDA and her store achieved a top-20 net promoter score of 87%.
Andrea Pickens, Store Director of Meijer Store #51 in Findlay, Ohio, was awarded the prestigious title of 2024 White Glove Champion at both the market and regional levels, and her store was named the 2024 Best Grocery Store in a local magazine's survey.
Sevilla Burns, Store Manager of Sprouts Farmers Market Store #226 in San Diego, was responsible for one of Sprouts' most successful locations.
Catherine Kiely, Store Team Leader of Whole Foods Market, Lexington, Ky., was elected as the only store rep to the board of directors for the Whole Foods Market Foundation.
Tracy Hoadley, Store Director of Safeway Store #486 in Tacoma, Wash., has motivated her team by creating excitement around contests and events, as well as by celebrating their successes.
Katie Hicks, Store Director of Lowes Foods Store #182 in Walkerton, N.C., has implemented numerous initiatives to boost morale and engagement, including regular team-building activities, personalised birthday and work anniversary cards, and quarterly themed employee appreciation events.
Jessica Winebrenner, Store Leader of Kroger Store #359 in Bellevue, Ky., has made a big impact on her team and division, boosting shrink and composite score.
Jen Saylor, Store Director of Lowes Foods Store #230 in Ocean Isle Beach, N.C., has implemented cross-training for hosts in multiple areas and actively incorporated their feedback to eliminate process inefficiencies.
Robyn Lilleberg, Store Manager of Amazon Fresh Store # MAC9 in Long Beach, Calif., has led her store to exceptional sales results, ranking No. 1 in the region and No. 5 overall for Amazon Fresh stores nationwide during Prime Day.
Nycke Bozilovic, Store Director of Jewel-Osco Store #4308 in Schaumburg, Ill., has beat EBITDA projections two quarters in a row and helped lead a successful Bakersfield HaLAWeen event.
Shanti Walls, Store Team Leader of West Tampa Whole Foods Market, Tampa, Fla., has been within the top 20 stores in Whole Foods Market's balanced scorecard ranking for two quarters in a row in 2024.
Maryann Holton, Store Director of Acme Markets Store #1054 in Midland Park, N.J., has delivered outstanding customer service, exceeded net promoter score goals, and earned a safety score of more than 90%.
Kristina Hale, Store Director of Fresh Thyme Market Store in Evansville, Ind., finished second overall out of 70 stores, measuring all financial metrics; it was also consistently among the top-10 highest-comping stores in the company.
Michelle Valdez, Store Director of King Soopers Store #87 in Conifer, Colo., has guided her location through several challenges and was one of the first to implement Store Operational Segments.
Lynn Ernesty, Store Manager of Food Lion Store #2613 in Fayetteville, N.C., has received Store Manager of the Year recognition for her region due to her ability to adapt during a major remodel.
Mindy Amado, Store Team Leader of Whole Foods Market, Fairfax, Calif., was a leader for the district and a key trainer due to her sales-driven perspective, great merchandising skills, and ability to create themed displays.
Katrina Goff, Store Manager of Food Lion Store #1592 in Windsor, Va., has survived breast cancer and continued delivering exceptional results, including a 5% increase in annual store sales and a 25% growth in Food Lion To Go sales.
Carissa Ford-Howard, Store Director of Albertsons Store #358 in Bakersfield, Calif., has maintained consistent store conditions, set team expectations, and trained her associates.
Amber Krantz, Store Director of Safeway Store #1827 in La Grande, Ore., has led her store through a "remarkable" total remodel in the past year and continued to keep the store in immaculate condition and make use of strategic sales displays.
Gwendolyn Pratt, Store Manager of Tops Markets Store #49 in West Seneca, N.Y., has been at 101% of her budget for sales and had five weeks where she exceeded $1 million dollars in sales, an average 8% increase compared with last year.
Christy Warren, Store Manager of Lidl Store #1052 in Augusta, Ga., has led her team to provide essential services and helped organise resources and coordinate with local relief efforts during Hurricane Helene.
Joanna Renzulli, Store Manager of Giant Store #6573 in Philadelphia, has been able to hire more than 50 team members for her urban location and promoted 22 of them to leadership roles.
Lucy Endres, Store Director of Safeway Store #544 in Bonney Lake, Wash., has achieved 10.54% EBITDA in the third quarter of 2024, due in part to consistent operations and high standards.
Jennifer Harlan, Store Manager of Food Maxx Store #449 in Carson City, Nev., has increased her sales by $97,000 last year due to her involvement with two community nonprofit food banks.
Mafi Vasquez, Store Leader of QFC Store #835 in Lynnwood, Wash., has started a program to recognise the work of local firefighters and helped her store consistently rank among the top sellers of $10 holiday bags for community members in need.
Diana Fritz, Store Manager of ShopRite Store #235 in Carmel, N.Y., has recorded a 7% year-over-year sales increase, and her meticulous attention to merchandising and operational efficiency contributed to a reduction in shrink favourability by 0.16 points.
Hope Starrett, Store Director of Harris Teeter Store #357 in Greenville, S.C., has achieved a 98% composite score for the year - the highest in her district, third in the region, and in the top 10 company-wide.
Jaylan Polk, Store Manager of Food Lion Store #2833 in Hahira, Ga., has achieved double-digit same-store sales growth and consistently balanced driving sales and meeting shrink targets.
Melissa Sims, Store Manager of Sprouts Farmers Market Store #530 in Smyrna, Ga., has been at 101% of her budget for sales and had five weeks where she exceeded $1 million dollars in sales, an average 8% increase compared with last year.
Raquel Welch, Store Director of Jewel-Osco Store #1074 in Joliet, Ill., has achieved a 2% sales increase year over year while also improving shrink, and the location additionally became the first in her district to be awarded an e-commerce certification for achieving a five-star rating.
Manjiri Joshi, Store Director of Meijer Store #188 in Livonia, Mich., was responsible for a significant store remodel that lasted for more than nine months, during which she delivered a remarkable $2.5 million increase over plan, along with a year-over-year sales increase.
Laura Yates, Store Director of Albertsons Store #972 in Martinez, Calif., has ranked at the top of her district for 10 consecutive quarters, winning a district trophy recognising the store that leads the way in 17 key metrics.
Robin Clark, Store Director of Safeway Store #342 in Spokane, Wash., has exceeded the EBITDA plan every quarter, ultimately surpassing the annual plan by more than $400,000.
Jennifer Jagneaux, Store Director of Albertsons Store #0717 Lake Charles, La., has served as hiring and compliance lead, significantly improved morale and sales at her store, and partnered with local law enforcement agencies on a brunch for female police officers.
Natalie Stacey, Store Director of Meijer Store #53 in Waterford, Mich., was appointed the market champion for West Detroit vendor relations, a role in which she enhanced the overall store-vendor experience.
Claudia Pavone, Store Manager of ShopRite Store #276 in Thornwood, N.Y., has achieved first place with a perfect 100 points on the ShopRite company scorecard.
Colleen Wagner, Store Manager of Giant Food Store #6094 in Fairless Hills, Pa., has beaten last year's sales budget, increased her store's net promoter score, and improved her overall associate engagement result.
Thayalini Pathinathan, Store Director of Tom Thumb Store #2580 in Southlake, Texas, has led her store to some major successes, including reaching the million-dollar sales mark before Christmas.
Kimberly Traver, Store Manager of Tops Markets Store #725 in Tannersville, N.Y., has excelled as a teacher, trainer, and developer, having helped three assistants and department managers improve their skills in the past year.
Christine Gallegos Barba, Store Director of Pavilions Store #2224 in Pasadena, Calif., has reimagined store merchandising strategies to maximise operational efficiency and customer engagement.
Maria Bowman, one of the honourees, is a four-time regional Store Manager of the Year and oversees 60 associates at Food Lion Store #0171 in Virginia Beach, Va.
Devin Smith, Store Manager of Sprouts Farmers Market Store #28 in Prescott, Ariz., was a leader for the district and a key trainer due to her sales-driven perspective, great merchandising skills, and ability to create themed displays.
Erma Vazquez, Store Leader of Fry's Food Store #675 in Buckeye, Ariz., has improved her store's scorecard to more than 90% and driven a 6% year-over-year sales increase.
Amy Griffis, Store Director of Meijer Store #137 in Lafayette, Ind., has helped increase the on-shelf availability score by 400 basis points and exceeded sales plans.
Erica Little, Store Director of Jewel-Osco Store #3181 in Chicago, has driven up average weekly sales and grown EBITDA by 94 basis points year over year.
Jessica Ferraro, Store Director of Big Y World Class Market #40 in Cheshire, Conn., has exceeded her store's sales budget in 2024 by 1% and increased sales by 1.5% over the previous year.
Rama Diallo, Store Director of Jewel-Osco Store #3376 in Chicago, consistently beats EBITDA and achieves a top-20 net promoter score of 87%.
Tiffany Foley, Store Director of Jewel-Osco Store #3118 in Clinton, Iowa, boosted pickup sales by 5% after strengthening that business and also beat EBITDA projections two quarters in a row.
Kathy Cassels, another honouree, was among only 55 managers to receive Food Lion's 2024 Store Manager of the Year award and is responsible for Store #0210 in Roanoke, Va.
Paula Lingenfelter, Store Manager of Martin's Store #6466 in Altoona, Pa., has achieved a high associate engagement score, increased her net promoter score, and earned a safety score of more than 90%.
Christian Dendy, Store Manager of Food Lion Store #0575 in Elizabeth City, N.C., has achieved year-to-date sales growth and led her region with a 99% completion rate for learning modules.
Store Managers honourees for 2025 will be celebrated during PG's annual Grocery Impact event in November.
Dalene Bonham, Store Manager of Martin's Store #6297 in La Vale, Md., has led her store to an impressive turnaround in sales and achieved multiple performance records.**
Jennifer Boteler, Store Director of Meijer Store #184 in Lexington, Ky., has led her team to drive exceptional results in all areas, including a year-over-year sales increase and a traffic increase that leads all other stores in the market by more than 200 basis points.**
Nicole Goins, Store Director of Albertsons Store #1211 in Danville, Calif., has achieved financial and operational targets, served as a regional hiring panelist, and trained multiple associates.**
Tamantha Nemeth, Store Leader of Giant Eagle Store #0060 in Monroeville, Pa., has received 100% scores on all of her audits.**
These honourees were celebrated not only for their individual excellence but also for their contributions to broader industry progress, reflecting the innovative and impactful leadership women bring to grocery retail and related sectors.
[1] Sources: Progressive Grocer, Food Lion, Meijer, Albertsons Companies, Safeway, Lowes Foods, Kroger, Whole Foods Market, Sprouts Farmers Market, Tops Markets, Lidl, QFC, ShopRite, Harris Teeter, Acme Markets, Fresh Thyme Market, Hy-Vee, Food Maxx, Fry's Food Store, Jewel-Osco, Big Y World Class Market.
- The honouree Amy Stainbrook from Giant Food Store #303 in Baltimore exhibited exceptional leadership and operational excellence by driving year-over-year sales growth, improving audit results, and instilling knowledge within her department management team, demonstrating expertise in food safety and health-and-wellness.
- The honouree Nicole Draper, Store Leader of Kroger Store #436 in Frankenmuth, Mich., showcased her strategic innovation and commitment to health-and-wellness by overseeing two stores in 2024, fostering improvements in performance metrics, customer satisfaction, and financial growth, and potentially utilizing science to optimize operational efficiency.
