Women were honored for going above and beyond to bring change to the industry

Monica Garnes, president of Fry’s, a division of The Kroger Co., is the 2019 Top Women in Grocery Trailblazer from Progressive Grocer and the Chicago-based Network of Executive Women (NEW).

Garnes, along with the newly announced 2019 Class of Top Women in Grocery, will be recognized at the upcoming Top Women in Grocery gala celebration on Nov. 7 at the Hyatt Regency Grand Cypress in Orlando, Fla.

“Monica’s dedication to her community and her staff and her ground-breaking career at Kroger, especially as president of Fry’s, makes her truly deserving of the distinction of being named our PG/NEW 2019 Top Women in Grocery Trailblazer,” said Kat Martin, senior editor of Progressive Grocer.

As the pinnacle award in Progressive Grocer’s Top Women in Grocery awards program, the Trailblazer is bestowed upon an individual who leads by example and has demonstrated a commitment to building up the next generation of female leaders in the grocery retail industry.

“Monica is dedicated to cultivating work environments that are inclusive of her teams’ thoughts and ideas – atmospheres where all can thrive. She exemplifies and carries out the Network of Executive Women mission. We collectively congratulate her on this tremendous accolade,” said NEW President and CEO Sarah Alter.

Garnes is currently president of Fry’s based in Phoenix, the first African-American division president in Kroger history. She moved into her role after serving as VP of produce-floral merchandising at Kroger’s corporate office in Cincinnati. Garnes, a previous two-time Top Women in Grocery honoree (2010, 2014), has been with Kroger since 1995 when she joined the Columbus division’s management training program, working her way through several leadership roles.

You can read a recent interview Progressive Grocer conducted with Garnes here.

2019 Class of Top Women in Grocery

Progressive Grocer also is honoring its class of 2019 Top Women in Grocery, a program that began in 2007. The extraordinary women honored this year comprise 81 Senior-Level Executives, 247 Rising Stars and 65 Store Managers. Each of the 393 women in the 2019 class play an integral role in the dynamic retail food industry, within both the retailer and supplier communities.

“Progressive Grocer remains committed to honoring women who have exceeded their job title expectations in the grocery industry,” said Progressive Grocer’s Senior Editor Kat Martin. “Every year, what it takes to be named a Top Woman in Grocery is elevated from where it was previously. While this program honors women specifically, all of the winners are tops in the industry, with no qualifiers needed. They are true leaders who are an example of what the grocery industry needs to continue to grow and excel.”

Top Women in Grocery, the retail industry’s premier women’s leadership awards platform, has been a pioneering force proclaiming a singular message of the advantageous role that empowered women play in an increasingly competitive marketplace. This year’s panel of judges evaluated nearly 750 submissions, which included detailed accounts of how the honorees went above and beyond their core job responsibilities between April 2018 and March 1, 2019.

“We never get tired of the inspiring stories of all of the Top Women in Grocery nominees, even though it’s so hard to choose the final slate of honorees from among the hundreds of worthy candidates,” said Progressive Grocer Managing Editor Bridget Goldschmidt. “Over the years, the program has grown exponentially, showing the importance of women to the grocery industry, and how far they have advanced in the managerial and executive ranks, including high-level positions in such male-dominated fields as warehouse logistics and information technology. This year’s Top Women have plenty to be proud of, and we salute them for their impressive achievements.”

This year’s Top Women in Grocery winners are prominently featured in PG’s June 2019 issue, whose cover story, “The Sisterhood,” can be viewed here.

All winners will be honored at a networking event and awards celebration that will take place Thursday, Nov. 7 at the Hyatt Regency Grand Cypress in Orlando, Fla. Highlights include a daytime leadership development program and a gala evening event. More information about the event can be found here.