When Quentin walked through the doors of Food 4 Less looking for a job, he wasn’t expecting to find “family,” but that’s exactly what he got – and more.

Quentin and his wife met in the military while stationed together at Andrews Air Force Base in Maryland, where he served as a Security Forces Member. He and his wife were members of the Presidential Airlift Group and Quentin found himself protecting Air Force One under Presidents George W. Bush and Barack Obama. Aside from meeting his wife in the military, Quentin really appreciates the family that he gained from his time serving.

After their military careers ended, Quentin and his wife relocated to California a little more than two years ago. They have a beautiful family and Quentin is now a local radio DJ. When he found himself looking for work as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, he visited his local Food 4 Less where he was greeted by a member of management and asked for a job. A few days later, Quentin started his training as a member of the Kroger Family.

“In the military, we’re all from different races and backgrounds, but we’re family – they are my brothers and sisters, and it bonded us!” Quentin fondly recalls and compares his experience there as similar to what he’s found working for Food 4 Less.

“The only way we’ve gotten through this is togetherness. It’s time for us to rise up and unify.”

Meet Quentin and hear more about his experience as a new associate at Food 4 Less Oxnard, California in his touching video above.

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During Black History Month, Patrick has graciously agreed to share why his family is his world. “I knew my great-great-grandmother. She lived to be 110 years old,” he said as he pulled out a picture from her wedding day in 1889. Creasy Cockrill was born a slave in 1857.

“I used to listen to the stories she would tell me about washing clothes for who she called the ‘blue coats’ during the Civil War. I reflect more on my family because of individuals like her,” Patrick said. “But as a kid, you don’t take it all in. I would give anything in the world knowing what I know now to be that kid again and listen to what this woman was trying to tell us.”

She was not his only relative to discover the fountain of youth. He had a close relationship with his great grandparents who both lived to be 104 years old. Despite challenges, they all found success. “They were all strong individuals who believed in education and that nobody could prevent you from doing anything that you wanted to do,” he said. “What I want people to take away is that this month is about learning about people and the road certain people have traveled on.”

Eight years serving in the Air Force showed him the importance of working in a diverse environment.  “You can’t have a homogeneous environment where every idea is the same,” he said. “Nobody looks the same or walks the same.”

Family stories and life lessons are on the forefront of his mind every time he walks into Store 518 for a shift. “Success is not a group thing, but an individual thing. As a manager, you have to find out what feeds your associates’ needs,” Patrick said.

As he nears 30 years with Kroger, he remembers the people he has met along the way to help him get to where he is today.

“My first manager’s name was Paul, and he was an unbelievable man who I owe a lot to. Greg was another old school meat cutter who taught me how to run the department when I was his assistant. It was a great help to learn how to do this. It all comes down to the people I’ve worked with. That’s why I’ve been here for so long.”

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I am a Native American. I belong to the Dine’ (The People) Navajo tribe.

I grew up on the Navajo Reservation in Tohatchi, New Mexico. My parents are Frank and Rose Nez. Nez is the Navajo word for “tall”—my grandfather was very tall. I have four sisters and one brother. My husband, Colin, and I have three sons and two daughters.

I am a descendant of Chief Manuelito and his wife Juanita. Juanita was the first Native American Woman to address Congress. My home on the reservation is the same land that Juanita lived on.

Navajos do not have nieces and nephews; we have sons and daughters. We do not have uncles and aunts; we have Little Fathers and Little Mothers. We treat all our children the same as if they are our very own. Our culture teaches our children and young people to respect our elders and address them as Grandma and Grandpa. As we age, we have teenagers and young adults who will call us Grandma when they address us, even if we have never met. Once, my mom and sister were at the mall when a young lady came over and wrapped a native print blanket around my mom and said, “Here Grandma, I bought this for you because I don’t want you to be cold.”

Navajos still live in or own a Hogan. It is a traditional home that is a sacred place where we hold our ceremonies to keep ourselves balanced. The Hogan is one room with a dirt floor. About every 10 years, the dirt floor is renewed by digging up about three inches and replacing it with fresh clean dirt. Like getting new carpet. The Hogan entrance always faces the east to greet the sun as we begin our day.

The Navajo is a matriarchal society. Land and possessions are handed down from mother to daughter. The woman makes the decisions concerning the land. The man comes into the marriage with only his horse and saddle.

Here are a few traditions we still celebrate and some fun facts:

Baby’s first laugh. In the Navajo tradition, we believe that newborns first reside in the world of the Holy People before they join their earthly family. When a child is born, we believe the child lives among the Holy People until his or her first laugh. The first laugh is a sign that the child is transitioning from the Spirit World and is ready to join his family on earth. Whoever makes the baby laugh first has the honor of hosting the Baby’s First Laugh Ceremony, which consists of food and gifts to all who attend. This is the first lesson in being generous.

The Kinalda is a four-day ceremony for the coming of age of young women. It begins at dawn when the Kinalda is blessed and dressed in her Navajo traditional dress and will run each day at sunrise, noon and sunset. As she runs, she gains endurance and with each run, she will go farther, just like in life. A 4-foot by 1-foot hole will also be dug where a fire will burn 24 hours a day for the four days. It represents the light of the young Kinalda, and it must never go out during the four days. The fire is watched 24 hours a day.

During the four days, the Kinalda will learn how to run a home and be a generous hostess. On the third day, the party begins with the making of a corn cake batter that is baked in the 4×1 hole. We sew corn husks together for the baking dish. The Kinalda blesses the cake, and then it is covered and the fire placed on top of it. The cake bakes throughout the night.

That same night, the medicine man will come and the Kinalda will sit up all night. She will be blessed with prayers and songs. In the morning, there will be a great feast and the Kinalda will give all the gifts she has received away to her guests.

Navajo Code Talkers. My dad’s brother, Freeland Nez, was a Navajo Code Talker. My dad was so very proud of him. The Navajo Code Talkers created a unique code within a code and served our country during World War II.

Here are a few examples of the code:

My dad was a medicine man. When one medicine man couldn’t figure out what ailed a patient, they would send the patient to my dad. He was amazing. Our yard was always full of cars with patients waiting their turn with the medicine man.

It has been a long road for us Navajos. During the “Scorched Earth Campaign” of 1864, our livestock, homes, orchards and gardens were burned because there was a belief that the mountains on Indian land held silver. My ancestors walked to Fort Sumner and lived without sufficient shelter and food. When silver was not found, they were allowed to return home.

Thank you for this opportunity, not just from me but from your Native American associates.

Wanda Nez Orr

If you’d like to learn more about being a member of our Kroger Family, head to jobs.kroger.com today.

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“These are exciting times. This group of passionate leaders will bring diverse perspectives and voices to ensure Diversity, Equity & Inclusion are a part of every conversation, so all associates are represented.” says Monica Garnes, Fry’s Division president and DE&I Advisory Council executive chair. “I am looking forward to working with the Council as we begin to bring our Framework for Action to life, building a more equitable workplace.”

The Council will work closely with senior leaders and associates to ensure Diversity, Equity & Inclusion are a part of every conversation and the work teams are doing is meaningful and moves the company toward a more equitable future.

Monica Garnes – President of the Fry’s Division and Executive Chair of the DE&I Advisory Council

Monica is president of the Fry’s Division, based in Tolleson, Arizona, where she leads a team of 21,000 associates who offer fresh, affordable food to all Arizonians.

Monica launched her career with Kroger in the Columbus, Ohio Division in 1995, where she began as a co-manager. She has since held roles in Human Resources, Corporate Affairs/Media Relations, District Management, Fresh Merchandising and many store and division leadership roles for the company. Monica also served as a certified division inclusion trainer.

Her commitment to being a team player and leading others manifested during her time in college where she was a four-year starter, two-year captain and was named to the Atlantic 10 All-Rookie Team for the University of Rhode Island’s women’s basketball team. She dedicates herself to service which has been shown by her membership on several boards, current and past support of many community partnerships and her involvement with the Women’s EDGE Associate Resource Group (ARG). She was twice named one of Progressive Grocer’s Top Women in Grocery and in 2019 they named her Trailblazer of the year. She has also been named one of Fortune and Food and Wine magazines “Most Innovative Women in Food and Drink,” and was one of Cincinnati Business Courier’s honorees for their inaugural “Women Who Mean Business” award. Most recently she was recognized by the Phoenix Business Journal as one of their “Outstanding Women in Business” and by the Arizona Business Magazine in the category of “Most Influential Women in Arizona Business.”

Kevin Lindsay – HR Leader for the Delta Division and DE&I Key Leader

As the Key Leader for our Fresh Forward DE&I commitment, Kevin is focused on leading a team on our journey to fundamentally change the way our company operates and improve the experience for our associates and customers while also underlining Kroger’s future as America’s grocer for years to come.

Kevin joined Kroger in the Delta Division in 2002 after then Vice President of Operations Bill Platten recognized Kevin’s customer service and uplifting spirit and told Kevin if he ever wanted a career change to call him. Several weeks later, Kevin was in orientation and on his way to becoming a co-manager. He’s held a number of management roles and from 2006 to 2017, he moved between General Office, Nashville, Central and then back to Nashville before he was offered the opportunity to return back to where it all started for him – the Delta Division.

With aspirations of becoming an HR leader, the opportunity to hold various HR and store leader roles in multiple divisions is something Kevin is thankful for, as it gave him a deeper connection to our store associates and an understanding of how things run in both our stores and our offices. As cliché as it may sound, Kevin knows that this company holds boundless potential for anyone who has the drive to work hard and grow their career with Kroger, and he can’t wait to help show that through the work of the Fresh Forward DE&I commitment.

Kevin is excited for the opportunity to work with our associates and executive leadership team to identify areas where change can make meaningful impacts. “This work is important because people are counting on us,” says Kevin.

Chris Albi – President of the QFC Division and Executive Chair of the ARG Steering Committee

As an extension of the DE&I Advisory Council, the company is currently establishing an Associate Resource Group (ARG) Steering Committee, where ARG leaders across the enterprise will liaise with and provide meaningful feedback to the Council. As the Executive Chair of the ARG Steering Committee, Chris Albi is currently working to build the Committee and is excited to announce the founding members, soon.

Chris began her career with Kroger in 1981 as a courtesy clerk in the King Soopers Division. She served in numerous leadership roles within the division before moving to General Office in Cincinnati as the director of Natural Foods. She joined the Michigan Division in 2011 as vice president of Merchandising, then moved to vice president of Operations for the division in 2015 and in 2016 was promoted to vice president of Operations for the Fred Meyer Division and to her current role in 2019.

Chris was named a Progressive Grocer’s Top Women in Grocery in 2018 and to the Top 100 Women in Grocery list in 2010. She was also honored as the 2014 Woman of the Year for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society of Michigan in 2014.

A passionate supporter of our associates, Chris has served as the executive sponsor of the Fred Meyer Women’s EDGE ARG, as a member of the Workforce Diversity Council and on the steering committee for the company’s Cultural Councils. She is also active in the community and has supported many organizations including serving on the Salvation Army Advisory Board, American Asian Pacific Chamber of Commerce, Making Strides Against Breast Cancer organization, the Colorado Sports Hall of Fame and as a board member for the Northwest Grocers Association.

Sian Bitner-Kearney – Associate Communications Manager, Supply Chain and Manufacturing

Sian Bitner-Kearney is the Associate Communications manager for our Supply Chain and Manufacturing Divisions, where she dedicates her time in uplifting, educating, engaging, and informing our associates using various communication channels to be the voice of the business and to provide platforms for our associates to share their own.

Sian joined Kroger in 2019 as the Associate Communications manager for Supply Chain and in 2020 began supporting the Manufacturing Division as well. Through her work, she has developed many ways for our associates to share their unique stories and has built platforms where associates can share feedback upstream to influence change within the organization.

Sian serves as a member of the Cincinnati chapter of Amnesty International where she does work to help free prisoners of conscience, finding housing for refugees, and supporting them in building businesses and successful futures.

She believes that our Framework for Action: Diversity, Equity & Inclusion plan will bring great value to our associates and customers and she’s proud to have a seat on the Council to help foster a culture where everyone is accepted for who they are. By being more inclusive, it opens our minds to new ideas and perspectives that can only help grow and improve the business.

Brianna Cid – Assistant Store Leader, Louisville #394

Brianna Cid is the assistant store leader for store #394 in the Louisville Division and is passionate about her associates and their experience. She is also passionate about ensuring diverse representation across all areas of Kroger, from our associates to the products we sell.

Brianna joined Kroger in 2015 as a cashier. She spent time in multiple areas of the store through 2018 when she entered the management internship program. After completing the 10-week internship program, Brianna returned as a clerk. In 2019, Brianna returned to the management internship program for eight months while completing her college degree in accounting. After graduation, Brianna entered store management in her current role. She was named one of Progressive Grocer’s 2020 GenNext Award winners and is the youngest female to win this award.

She’s excited to be a member of the DE&I Advisory Council because she’s passionate about seeing change in Kroger and in our communities. Positive momentum toward change came out of the unfortunate events of 2020 that sparked civil unrest and building upon that momentum is critical. As the Secretary of the Louisville Division’s African-American Associate Resource Group, she’s helped drive change through a 4-part action plan encouraging a diverse, equitable and inclusive company, and she hopes that her role with the Council will give her the opportunity to influence change across the enterprise.

Cole Decker – Senior Solution Design Consultant, 84.51°

Cole Decker is the senior solution design consultant for our 84.51° Division, where he works alongside a team of consultants and data scientists to create tools that enable our category managers to make data-driven decisions. Using data analytics, he and his team are enabling our category managers to ensure our stores have the proper mix of products that customers are shopping for.

Cole joined the company in our 84.51° Division in 2016 as an associate client lead. In 2018, Cole relocated to support the General Merchandise team in Portland, Oregon where he currently resides. In 2019, he was promoted to senior business acceleration consultant and was named to his current solutions design role in 2020.

As someone who struggled at an early age and in the early days of his career to find his voice, he hopes to use his position on the Council to advocate for others who are still finding theirs. Through advocating on behalf of others, he hopes to continue his journey of practicing empathy, thoughtfulness and mindfulness.

Martel Johnson – Store Leader, Ralphs #17

Martel Johnson is a store leader for our Ralphs store #17 in Sun Valley, California. As a store leader, Martel builds a respectful and inclusive culture among his associates and instills a shared, enthusiastic commitment to all customers.

Martel joined the company in our Ralphs Division in 2000 and has held a number of leadership roles within the division. He was promoted to Front-end manager in 2009, and in 2013, he was promoted to assistant store leader and later District Front-end coordinator, where not only was he responsible for Front-end operations, but also the development of the Front-end staff, molding them to become the next generation of leaders. He was promoted to his current role as store leader in 2019.

As a leader, it’s important to Martel that he fosters an atmosphere that thrives on our Values. He hopes that with his position on the Council, he can impact change within the organization and in our communities and wants everyone to see that no matter who you are, everyone can succeed at Kroger. Martel has a favorite quote from Kobe Bryant that he reflects on regularly, and that is, “The most important thing is to try and inspire people so that they can be great in whatever they want to do.”

Melvin Jones – Senior Human Resource Leader, Pontiac Foods

Melvin Jones serves as the senior Human Resource leader for the Pontiac Foods manufacturing plant, located in South Carolina. In his position as HR leader, Melvin is a people champion for our associates and works to ensure that, as a company, we live by Our Values and fulfil Our Purpose for our associates, customers and communities.

Melvin joined Kroger in 1988 as a co-manager in our Mid-Atlantic Division. In 1995, he became a Recruiting specialist for the division, where he coordinated onboarding and training of new and existing associates. In 1996, he was promoted to associate manager, and in 1997, he was promoted to HR manager at the Westover Dairy in Lynchburg, Virginia. Since moving to the Manufacturing Division, Melvin has held leadership roles as a behavioral safety consultant, trainer and manager of Leadership Development. He was named to his current role as senior HR leader in 2018.

Melvin graduated from North Carolina A&T State University with a bachelor’s in Business and is on track to graduate this spring with a Master of Law Studies with an HR concentration from Wake Forest University. He also holds SHRM-CP and Professional in Human Resources (PHR) certifications.

As the chairperson of the Manufacturing Diversity & Inclusion team, Melvin has a desire to give back and help make meaningful change that will provide a positive experience for all. He has 32+ years of growth and experience with the company and hopes to use both positive and negative challenges he’s faced to make a lasting change for the better.

Veronica Long – Store Leader, Delta #415

Veronica Long is a store leader for the Delta Division’s store #415. As a millennial with 15 years of experience across several districts within the Delta Division, Veronica is looking forward to sharing her perspective to help influence change company-wide.

Veronica joined Kroger in 2005 as a cashier and has held a number of positions in four of the six districts within the Delta Division. In addition to her time spent in stores, she also served as the District 3 Deli/Bakery rollout coordinator from 2012 to 2013. She spent seven years in assistant store leader roles before being named to her current role in 2018.

By bringing her unique perspective and understanding to the Council, she’s looking forward to the opportunity to play a part in the future of the company. She’s excited to be a part of something so cutting edge and game changing while collaborating with the forward-thinkers of the organization and exchanging meaningful dialogue.

Victoria Uti – Technology Engineer 5 for Kroger Technology & Digital

Dr. Victoria Uti is a Technology Engineer 5 on the Kroger Technology & Digital team where she is the principal investigator for the Advanced Technology Services vertical in Research & Development. She builds teams and leads projects that support to the implementation of innovative solutions, improving the associate and customer experience.

Victoria joined the Kroger family in 2018 as the senior advanced machine learning scientist and was promoted to her current role in 2020. She is Kroger’s lead scientist and researcher for Artificial Intelligence (AI), Machine Learning, Video Analytics, Advanced Computing Paradigms and related technologies. She evaluates and recommends new technologies to our leadership teams, translates business needs into innovative technical solutions and infuses AI into the company. She holds a PhD in Computer Science and Engineering with a primary specialization in Artificial Intelligence (AI).

Victoria is an adjunct professor of Computer Science at Northern Kentucky University and is a National Science Foundation and Ford Foundation Fellow. As an emerging leader, Victoria was nominated by Kroger to participate in the Cincinnati USA Regional Chamber’s Power Squad Leadership program for women of color in 2020.

As a first generation African-American female immigrant, Victoria hopes to use her experiences to contribute to the company’s advancement of Diversity and Inclusion. By continuing to elevate the company’s progressing position, her hope is to attract and promote more highly educated people of color, particularly highly educated African-American women in technology.

Amy Wang – People Services Leader, Mariano’s # 514

As the People Services leader for Mariano’s store #514, Amy strives to be inclusive in every decision that she makes, both professionally and personally. As a woman of color, Diversity and Inclusion are an innate part of who she is.

Amy joined the Kroger company in the Mariano’s Division in 2019 where she is a champion for her associates and helps develop, coach and train future leaders. She also dedicated her time as a board member for the Minnesota Chapter of the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI)’s Multicultural Young Adult Advisory Board. During her time on the board, she created a Wellness in Color campaign, serving minority community members living with mental illness. She believes in the power of storytelling to normalize our differences. The most powerful way to support one another is to simply show up and actively listen.

Amy is looking forward to partnering with her fellow Council members and decision makers to gain insight into how business practices can be designed to not only show that we live by Our Values, but also create sustainable change towards equity in our company and the communities we serve.

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As leaders of change, Monica and Kevin shared their reflections on what Martin Luther King Jr. Day means to them and how his passion and commitment are inspiring them in their new roles.

Reflections on Martin Luther King. Jr. Day

By Monica Garnes, President of Fry’s Food Stores and Executive Chair of Kroger’s DE&I Advisory Council

When I reflect on the work of Martin Luther King, Jr., I am inspired by his passion, commitment and courage to highlight the importance of civil and economic rights. He was masterful at using words to demonstrate the inherent value of all human beings and the benefits of a united America that resonated not only with African Americans but with all Americans.

I am also inspired to consider how can we carry these ideas into the future. Full equality still needs to be realized. Each of us plays a role in creating an environment – in the community, government, businesses, everywhere – that is welcoming and a place where every person can thrive and participate.

Kroger has the opportunity to become a leader in implementing and embracing a robust diversity, equity and inclusion framework that can become a model for other companies. By focusing intentionally on our two values of Diversity and Inclusion, we can help reshape what a unified workplace means for each and every one of us.

Similar to how any movement has made progress, it will take all of us working together to make a difference and bring this change not only to Kroger, but to our society and nation.

Martin Luther King, Jr. Day is a day to commemorate his remarkable life and accomplishments, but the work that he so passionately fought for is something we need to focus on each day of the year. I invite you all to join me on this journey.

Reflections on Martin Luther King. Jr. Day

By Kevin Lindsey, HR Leader for the Delta Division and DE&I Initiative Owner

In thinking about how Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s life influences my own, I think about how, with great passion and personal sacrifice, he taught a message of service to others while advocating for civil rights for all.

Each year, I take my family to visit the National Civil Rights Museum, here in Memphis, Tennessee to share this important history with my children and remind them of the importance of hard work, service and honorable achievement.

These values have propelled me throughout my life from childhood to college, where I joined Kappa Alpha Psi and committed myself to the fraternity’s fundamental purpose of “achievement in every field of human endeavor.” And today, I have been fortunate to work for a company whose values so closely align with my own.

It’s this time each year that I ask myself: am I living out these values? What I have come to realize is when you plant good seed, eventually you reap a good harvest. It’s an infinite cycle.

My new role as Diversity, Equity & Inclusion (DE&I) Initiative Owner is a valued opportunity to start a new cycle of planting good seed. As HR leader in Delta, I get great joy being an advocate for associates, offering a listening ear and promoting the well-being of men and women at all levels of the organization. I especially enjoy seeing these associates reap the benefits of hard work, service and honorable achievement.

And now, with the support of our senior leaders, who continue to motivate me to drive change, and a strong DE&I council, I am committed to advance our DE&I initiatives for all Kroger associates.

I applaud all of you who are on this journey with us. Your support and encouragement are truly inspiring. I look forward the work we will do together.

Our Chief People Officer Tim Massa often closes his meetings with the phrase “Better Together.”  This has always resonated with me and I want to add that we are truly Better Together – with our differences.

In closing, I urge each of you to reflect on this quote from Dr. King.  “Life’s most persistent and urgent question is, ‘What are you doing for others?’”

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During her time with Cincinnati-Dayton division, Pettijohn served as an assistant store leader, store leader, division merchandising manager, division operations manager and – today – she leads a district.

Motivating her team to win

In 2019, Pettijohn was tapped to be a relief district manager for District 5.

“My proudest moment in 2019 was being selected to be a relief district manager,” said Pettijohn. “I held that role from August through October, and during that time I won the P8 District Managers’ Challenge.”

To win the challenge, she set out a plan and told her team to “go big or go home.” They went after sales and stayed ahead for each week of the four-week selling event. Pettijohn said she was inspired by the store teams’ motivation.

“I told them to ‘go big,’ and they did,” she said.

Leading with a passion for people

Spending time with Pettijohn, it’s easy to see how she can inspire results like those achieved during the District Managers’ Challenge.

“People are loyal to people,” she said. “Kroger is a people business. Milk sells itself; our people are what set us apart.”

When leading her team, Pettijohn makes expectations clear, coaches results and gives constant feedback.

“Our associates need to understand what’s expected of them and then be held accountable to those expectations,” said Pettijohn.

Following in the footsteps of strong women

Pettijohn continues to live the ideals she learned from her grandmother, mother and aunt. Each woman taught her different lessons that she brings to Kroger every day.

From her grandmother, Pettijohn leaned to be compassionate.

“My grandmother taught me the importance of changing my delivery if a message isn’t being heard,” she said. “If I’m not getting the results I need, I include others in the discussions.”

From her mother, Pettijohn learned the importance of teamwork.

“I’m the oldest of six kids,” she said. “If one of us was in trouble, we all shared the consequences – and if one of us did something great, we all were rewarded.”

And from her aunt, Pettijohn learned to be inclusive.

“She taught me the importance of looking to everyone for advice,” she said. “Throughout my career, I’ve leaned on women and men for feedback and different perspectives.”

In her Kroger family, former Cincinnati-Dayton division president Sukanya Madlinger has long been a mentor for Pettijohn.

“She truly exemplifies what a ‘people business’ looks like,” she said. “I understood from her that people are loyal to people, not corporations – and it’s something I live by every day.”

In addition to Madlinger, Pettijohn appreciated mentorship from Tish Williams Spurlock, who taught her how to understand different perspectives. She also recognized ongoing support from Kacie Maushart and Maria St. Germain.

Celebrating a big milestone

Pettijohn is excited to be named a 2020 Top Woman in Grocery.

“I’m proud to share the stage with fellow Cincinnati-Dayton teammates Evelyn Miller and Meaghen Sorrel,” said Pettijohn.

While as with everything else this year, the Top Women in Grocery celebration will look a little different, it isn’t dimming Pettijohn’s enthusiasm.

“Winning this award is a dream come true,” she said. “My future at Kroger is bright – I love working with associates and across the division. For me, the sky is the limit!”

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Erin joined the company in 2013 as a member of the retail operations team. Kroger is a place where she continues to learn and grow her career while helping others do the same. Erin is a people person and connects with and inspires her associates on a daily basis.

As a vice president of Operations, Erin is responsible for directing and coordinating effective operations of all store locations and business units within the Columbus Division, with 116 locations and more than 19,000 associates.

“What I am really excited about is the things that are happening in the Columbus Division,” says Erin. “I feel like our team is positioned really well to deliver amazing business results and are focused on the right things to help our associates see a future with Kroger.”

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