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GOURMET NEWS APRIL 2015 www.gourmetnews.com Retailer News RETAILER NEWS 9 BRIEFS Food Lion Names Rhonda Mauldin 2014 Store Manager of the Year Food Lion has named Rhonda Mauldin its 2014 Store Manager of the Year. Mauldin, who is the Store Manager of the Food Lion located at 1004 W. Georgia Road in Simp- sonville, South Carolina, was selected from a group of more than 1,100 store managers across the company. "I really don't think of myself as an excep- tional store manager; however, what I do think of as exceptional is my team," Mauldin said after receiving the award. "They really are the reason I'm here today, and I'm hon- ored to accept this award on their behalf." Mauldin was honored at an annual event at Food Lion's headquarters in Salisbury, North Carolina, which was attended by her family and colleagues. This is not the first time Food Lion or the grocery store indus- try has lauded Mauldin for her outstanding leadership skills. She received store man- ager excellence awards for her work both with Bloom and Food Lion stores in 2009, 2010, 2013 and 2014. In addition, Mauldin received Progressive Grocer's Top Women in Grocery award for the Store Manager category in 2014. "Our store managers are the face of Food Lion to our customers," said Meg Ham, President of Food Lion. "Rhonda personifies this every day by running a great store, teaching and training associates, mentoring future leaders and caring for our customers and her community through outstanding service. Her store is always one of the top stores in donating meals and time for her local food bank. She is an exceptional leader, has developed an outstanding team, and is so deserving of this honor. We're proud to have her as part of the Food Lion team." Mauldin has worked in the grocery store in- dustry for nearly 30 years. She joined Food Lion in February 2006 as a Dry Assistant Manager in Anderson, South Carolina. Six months later, she was promoted to Store Man- ager and moved to Seneca, South Carolina, to serve as the store manager at this location. Be- cause of her sharp skills for transforming busi- nesses into high-performing stores, she was later transferred to the Simpsonville, South Carolina, store location in 2007. To honor Mauldin, the company will do- nate $2,000 in Mauldin's name to her store's local feeding agency, Harvest Hope Food Bank, in Greenville, South Carolina. Mauldin and her team support this food bank with food donations and volun- teerism throughout the year. In addition to Mauldin, three Store Man- agers were recognized for exceptional lead- ership. The 2014 Division Store Manager Excellence Award recipients include: Paul Goodnight, Store Manager at 2458 SW Cary Parkway in Cary, North Carolina; James Felix, Store Manager at 12100 Cen- tral Ave., in Mitchellville, Maryland; and Kevin Foy, Store Manager at 1304 W. Ver- non Ave., in Kinston, North Carolina. For more information on Food Lion, visit www.foodlion.com. GN Sprouts Farmers Market Hires Daniel Bruni as Chief Information Officer Sprouts Farmers Market has hired Daniel Bruni as Chief Information Officer. Bruni will be responsible for spearheading all information technology efforts to support company objectives. Bruni brings to Sprouts 25 years of information technology and executive hands-on expertise in the retail, distribution and financial services industries, most recently serving as the Vice President of IT for Dollar General. Previously, Bruni was the Senior Vice President and CIO for Harris Teeter Inc. and the Vice President and CIO for Brother Gourmet Coffees Inc. Bruni holds a bachelor's degree in Computer Science and an MBA in IT Executive Management from Fairleigh Dickinson University. "We're excited to welcome Dan to the Sprouts team and our innovative, entrepreneurial culture," said President and CEO Doug Sanders. "Dan's leadership in a variety of information technology functions from retail systems to technology infrastructure will be extremely valuable as we continue to grow and innovate to better serve our guests."

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