Hy-Vee President Tweeten Announces Retirement
Longtime retail leader and nationally recognized marketing icon Donna Tweeten has announced her retirement from Hy-Vee, Inc., effective Jan. 24.
In 2022, Tweeten became the first woman in Hy-Vee history to serve as the company’s president.
Tweeten has guided Hy-Vee’s brand and image strategy and helped double the size of the Iowa-based grocery chain during her tenure. Under her leadership, Hy-Vee also became the first retailer to engage in a name, image, likeness contract with basketball star Caitlin Clark, as well as sign partnerships with Kansas City Chiefs players Patrick Mahomes and Travis Kelce, and U.S Olympic gymnast Shawn Johnson East.
“No one has shaped the Hy-Vee brand with such skill, precision and creativity more than Donna Tweeten,” said Jeremy Gosch, Hy-Vee’s chairman and CEO. “Throughout her career, Donna has served as an innovator, trailblazer and creative thinker in nearly every aspect of Hy-Vee’s operations. There’s no doubt that her influence will be felt across Hy-Vee for decades to come.”
Tweeten came to Hy-Vee with an extensive background in advertising, working for such firms as Davis Harrison Dion–Chicago, Anderson Communications and serving as the president and chief creative officer of The Meyocks Group, Hy-Vee’s agency of record.
Tweeten joined Hy-Vee in 2006 as assistant vice president, communications and was promoted to assistant vice president, marketing in 2009. In 2011, she was selected as vice president, brand image. Tweeten was promoted to vice president, marketing/communications in 2013, and in 2014, she was named senior vice president, chief marketing officer. In 2016, she was promoted to executive vice president and elected to Hy-Vee’s board of directors, and later that year she became executive vice president, chief marketing officer/chief customer officer. In 2020, she was also named chief of staff. In 2022, Tweeten transitioned to executive vice president, chief of staff, chief merchandising officer and then was promoted to executive vice president, chief of staff, chief marketing officer. In late 2022, Tweeten was promoted to her current role as president of Hy-Vee.
Tweeten has been nationally recognized for her influence in the advertising and sports marketing industries, including being named a 2024 Champion of Change by ADWEEK and receiving Ad Age’s Leading Women Forward award. This year, she also received FMI’s prestigious Esther Peterson Award for Consumer Service.
Tweeten has received a number of other honors throughout her career including being named one of Progressive Grocer’s Top Women in Grocery in 2011, 2013 and 2019, and received the publication’s highest honor, the Top Women in Grocery Trailblazer award, in 2023. In 2016, she received several awards, including Shopper Marketing magazine’s Women of Excellence, Marketer of the Year by Supermarket News for her innovation and success throughout the grocery industry, and People Who Made a Difference by Mass Market Retailers for combining Hy-Vee’s fundamentals and guiding principles with modern marketing efforts and creativity to enhance the customer experience. In 2022, Tweeten received the Lifetime Achievement Award by Women Impacting Storebrand Excellence (WISE) and Store Brands magazine.
Tweeten received her Bachelor of Arts degree in journalism from Drake University and obtained certification from the Kellogg School of Management’s Executive Leadership program at Northwestern University. She plans to consult and continue to mentor others after her retirement from Hy-Vee.
Hy-Vee, Inc.is an employee-owned corporation operating more than 570 business units across nine Midwestern states with sales of more than $13 billion annually. The supermarket chain is synonymous with quality, variety, convenience, healthy lifestyles, culinary expertise and superior customer service. Hy-Vee was recently named the No. 1 grocery store in America by USA TODAY. The company’s more than 75,000 employees provide “A Helpful Smile in Every Aisle” to customers every day. For additional information, visit www.hy-vee.com.
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Cal-Maine to Expand Cage-Free Production Capabilities
On Oct. 4, Cal-Maine Foods’ board of directors approved $40 million in new capital projects to further expand the company’s cage-free production capabilities. The company plans to fund the projects through a combination of available cash on hand, sales of investment securities and operating cash flow.
The projects will include the addition of five cage-free layer houses across the company’s locations in Florida, Georgia, Utah and Texas. The company plans to start construction by the end of calendar 2024 and expects the projects to be completed with additional production capacity for approximately 1.0 million cage-free layer hens by late summer 2025. These additions will primarily replace recently retired caged facilities and add to the Company’s cage-free capacity.
The company also provided an update on its conversion of the former Tyson Foods facilities in Dexter, Mo., acquired on March 14. Following the closing, the company began work to remodel and repurpose these assets for use in shell egg production. Cal-Maine Foods has also been working with local contract growers and has commitments that would result in approximately 1.2 million additional free-range hens by fall 2025, with plans to add more capacity in the future.
Sherman Miller, president and chief executive officer of Cal-Maine Foods, Inc., said, “We are pleased to announce these new expansion projects, which support our strategy to increase our free-range production in line with customer demand and expanding state requirements for cage-free eggs. The additional capacity will further enhance our ability to serve our growing customer base. We have made considerable progress with the conversion of the Dexter facilities and look forward to the additional production and distribution capabilities from this location. We greatly appreciate the support we have received from the existing network of local contract growers. As we continue to expand our operations, we remain committed to being the most efficient and sustainable producer of fresh shell eggs and egg products, and we will look for additional opportunities to further advance our growth strategy.”
Cal-Maine Foods, Inc. is primarily engaged in the production, grading, packaging, marketing and distribution of fresh shell eggs, including conventional, cage-free, organic, brown, free-range, pasture-raised and nutritionally enhanced eggs. The Company, which is headquartered in Ridgeland, Miss., is the largest producer and distributor of fresh shell eggs in the nation and sells most of its shell eggs throughout the majority of the United States.
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2 Publix Officers to Retire; Company Promotes 2 Other Officers
Publix Super Markets CEO Kevin Murphy announced the retirement of two officers and the promotion of two officers, effective Jan. 1.
After 46 years of dedicated service, Vice President of Industrial Maintenance and Industrial Operations Purchasing Randy Barber has announced his decision to retire at the end of this year.
Additionally, after more than a decade of dedicated service, Vice President of Facilities Bob McGarrity has also announced his decision to retire at the end of 2024.
“Randy’s dedication to overseeing our non-retail locations and ensuring retail and industrial operations have the equipment, supplies and packaging needed to operate at peak performance has made us a better company. He’s shared his passion for Publix and his vast knowledge of industrial operations with his teams for over four decades,” said Murphy. “Bob’s commitment to the design, construction and maintenance of our stores and equipment has continued to enhance the shopping experience for our customers. He’s perpetuated our culture of working together to accomplish a common goal. We are grateful for Randy’s and Bob’s years of dedicated service and the mentorship they have given to countless associates. We wish them well in their retirements.”
With Barber’s retirement, Publix is pleased to announce the promotion of Director of Industrial Maintenance and Industrial Operations Purchasing John Fisher to vice president of industrial maintenance and industrial operations purchasing.
With McGarrity’s retirement, Publix is pleased to announce the promotion of Architect Program Manager Dave Taulbee to vice president of facilities.
“Preparing talented leaders for the next step in their Publix careers is important to our future success,” said Murphy. “As we continue to grow, we need leaders like John and Dave who are focused on providing the best experience for our customers and associates. I am proud of their accomplishments and look forward to their future contributions.”
About Barber
Barber, 62, began his Publix career in 1978 as a front service clerk in Lakeland, Florida. He transferred to the Lakeland dairy plant in 1982, where he held various positions before being promoted to category manager of supplies purchasing in 2001. In 2009, he was named Lakeland dairy plant general manager; in 2013, he was promoted to director of industrial maintenance. He has been serving in his current role since 2018. Barber and his wife, Sharon, will remain in Lakeland. He is looking forward to spending time with family, hiking, fishing and auto racing.
About Fisher
Fisher, 53, began his Publix career in 2006 as a senior facilities engineer in Lakeland, Florida. In 2021, he was promoted to director of industrial maintenance and to his current role earlier this year. Fisher and his wife, Jennifer, will continue to reside in Lithia, Florida.
About McGarrity
McGarrity, 63, joined Publix in 2012 as director of construction in Lakeland, Florida. He was promoted to his current role in 2017. McGarrity and his wife, Lisa, will remain in Valrico, Florida. He is looking forward to spending time with family and traveling.
About Taulbee
Taulbee, 61, began his Publix career in 2001 as a store design architect in Lakeland, Florida. In 2005, he was promoted to architect manager and to his current role in 2021. Taulbee and his wife, Nicole, will continue to reside in Wesley Chapel, Florida.
Publix, the largest employee-owned company in the U.S. with more than 255,000 associates, currently operates 1,379 stores in Florida, Georgia, Alabama, Tennessee, South Carolina, North Carolina, Virginia and Kentucky. For 27 consecutive years, the company has been recognized by Fortune as a great place to work. In addition, Publix’s dedication to superior quality and customer service is recognized among the top in the grocery business. For more information, visit the company’s newsroom at corporate.publix.com/newsroom.
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