Press release:
Debbie Neumann, store manager of The Kroger Co.’s central division store in Morton has been honored by leading industry publication Progressive Grocer as a “Top Woman in the Grocery Industry” for 2010 in the store manager category. Neumann manages one of the division’s top-performing stores in one of the Midwest’s most competitive local grocery markets.
Neumann has been employed by The Kroger Co. for 20 years. Upon graduation from Illinois State University, Neumann was recruited into the MD1 Co-Manager training program. Upon completion of that program, she worked as a co-manager throughout the Peoria region. When a store manager vacancy opened in Chillicothe, Neumann was the unanimous choice for that promotion. Neumann then was promoted to store manager of the Sterling Avenue store in Peoria in 2001, and then she was promoted to store manager in Bartonville in 2005 and then was promoted to store manager in Morton in 2006. During much of 2009, Neumann was responsible for continuity of business and safeguarding the customer experience during a complete store remodel of the Morton store. That remodel added several new specialty areas to the store, requiring expert level merchandising, operations and personnel decisions, as well as careful collaboration with local officials.
"Neumann’s being responsible for sweeping changes to a store while growing the business successfully and keeping expenses in line during a challenging economy was a significant accomplishment," the press release stated.
Neumann has been the recipient of the divisional president’s awards and was selected to represent the central division at the inaugural Future Connect program in Dallas. Neumann devotes much of her time to her store, its customers and its associates. She is known for going above and beyond as a mentor and coach in developing co-managers through Kroger’s MD2 Co-Manager Development Training.
Kroger central division president Bob Moeder said, “(Neumann) is an exceptional leader. She is dedicated to our customers, our associates and serving our local communities. (Neumann) has helped guide highly effective transformational changes in this division, within the highly-competitive metro Peoria market. I am extremely impressed by (Neumann) and her team. She is a very good leader who serves as a mentor and an inspiration to the many other female current and emerging leaders here in Kroger’s central division.”
