2025 Women of Influence

The Shelby-Griffin Report presents the 20th annual tribute to Women of Influence in the food industry. For 20 years, we’ve honored the outstanding women shaping the food industry—from executives and innovators to mentors and community leaders. This year’s nominees represent a diverse range of roles, backgrounds, and regions, each making a profound impact in their careers and beyond.

Explore their stories below, and join us in celebrating their achievements.

2025 Women of Influence

2025 Women of Influence

Jennifer Watts

VP Business Development, Taylor Farms

Jennifer Watts' journey in the fresh produce industry began in 1989 at Fresh World, where she pioneered the sale of VegiSnax in the Northwest and Northeast markets. Her career then led her to Missa Bay, where she spent 14 years honing her skills in new business development.
From there, Jennifer developed a commissary program for a leading national convenience store chain, streamlining operations by replicating items produced in-store in a commissary setting. Her innovative spirit also manifested in her collaboration on the first grab-and-go bowl salad, featuring separately packaged add-ins and her work with Rutgers University on modified atmosphere packaging to enhance distribution efficiency.
For the past 15 years, Jennifer has been a key part of Taylor Farms' success. She has leveraged her experience to drive the company's growth. Her responsibilities include overseeing a key national deli customer, spearheading more than 500 product launches across multiple food categories and leading a team of professionals in business development, culinary innovation and customer relations.
In her personal life, Jennifer established a family foundation with her husband that focuses on causes like Catholic education, scholarships for low-income families and mental health support groups.
Jennifer's expertise and leadership have been instrumental in solidifying Taylor Farms as North America's leading maker of salads and healthy fresh foods.

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2025 Women of Influence

Jerrica Frenza

Store Manager, Hannaford

Jerrica Frenza led her team through a year of demands and challenges, all while developing a consistent sales volume. Moreover, they accomplished this by being resourceful with the store. Its conditions were excellent, execution was on point and all retail operational items were well executed.
Moreover, Jerrica's impact was diverse and influential in the community, as she:
* Led the continued development of the Women's Resource Group in retail.
* Developed collaboration efforts with and veterans' and women's groups, resulting in joint ventures in the community.
* Sponsored events in the district with Lower Adirondack Pride and Saratoga Pride.
* Established a working partnership with the Adirondack Regional Chamber of Commerce regarding diversity, equity and inclusion.
* Supported Ronald McDonald House efforts and provided dinner.
* Raised funds for Autism Alliance in the Queensbury region.

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2025 Women of Influence

Jessa Theis

Owner, Mackenthun's

Jessa Theis' leadership, emotional intelligence and commitment to both innovation and community service make her a standout leader. Jessa, alongside her brother Jaime and father Kim, has transformed Mackenthun's Fine Foods into a thriving business while maintaining a family-centered, employee-focused culture. Jessa leads with empathy, creating an environment where employees feel valued, supported and motivated. Her focus on emotional intelligence has fostered a highly engaged workforce and a positive work culture. In addition to her leadership, Jessa has championed the use of technology to improve both customer experience and operational efficiency. Her work in launching the company's e-commerce platform and implementing employee-facing technology has allowed Mackenthun's to meet customer needs and streamline operations. Beyond business success, Jessa is deeply committed to philanthropy. As a board member of Backyard Wishes, she works to fulfill the wishes of families facing hardship. Mackenthun's Fine Foods also supports various local charities, food drives and community initiatives under her leadership. Jessa's ability to balance innovation with compassion, business growth with community care, makes her an inspiring leader.

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2025 Women of Influence

Jessica Williams

Sales Manager, Titan Farms

Celebrating her 10th anniversary at Titan this year, Jessica Williams is very passionate about the produce industry and uses that passion to lead the team well, always encouraging members to strive to be the best. She has successfully led the company's all-women sales team by instilling open communication in all members to ensure they are built to succeed, as well as empowering others. Jessica encourages teamwork and dedication to all her employees, ensuring that everyone feels good about their roles on the team and within the company. Under Jessica's leadership, the team strives to reach new goals in sales performance, while maintaining the same strong sense of camaraderie and dedication that she has instilled. Her commitment to teamwork makes sure the team not only meets but exceeds goals, driving the success of Titan Farms forward. Her team consists of two sales account managers, a customer service representative and a creative marketing specialist. Guided by Jessica's leadership, this diverse team collaborates seamlessly, embodying the principles of teamwork, dedication and the Titan Farms' values. Jessica's leadership has played a significant part in the growth and success of the company. Her ability to motivate has created a positive and productive work environment within the sales team.

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2025 Women of Influence

Joan Hubbard

Store Manager, Hannaford

Joan Hubbard has impacted many leaders across the organization over her four-decade career. One might say Joan was "born" for retail, given that she followed in her father's footsteps by joining Hannaford more than 42 years ago.
While Joan's years of service and the knowledge she has shared are impressive, what is more telling is that she still strives to learn, grow and try new things.
On any given walk in the St. Albans store, visitors will hear, see or experience the many ways that Joan cares for associates, customers and the community. She is a long-time member of the St. Albans community, so it is like walking with the mayor. Joan knows many customers by name and asks about the well-being of their parents and family members. For Joan, it is just who she is; for the team, she is a role model.
Community involvement is synonymous with Hannaford in St. Albans. Joan has led participation in many different events, including Operation Happiness, Relay for Life, local Dairy Days and school sports teams. Joan was also the district's United Way Champion.
Joan is respected for excelling in many positions, including athlete, coach, store leader, community member, wife, mom and grandmother. She is a Woman of Influence.

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2025 Women of Influence

Jody Kotab

HR Director, Buche Foods

Jody Kotab is a results-driven leader whose impact on the food industry is undeniable. As a seasoned professional with a deep understanding of grocery management, operations and strategic planning, she consistently delivers results that drive efficiency and profitability. Her expertise in tying together payroll, operations, IT and store-level priorities has helped Buche Foods navigate evolving industry challenges while enhancing employee engagement and customer satisfaction. Beyond her professional achievements, Jody is a mentor and advocate in the food industry. She champions the latest time-savers and culture-boosters for HR teams through the NGA's HR Share Group, ensuring the industry moves forward together with the tools and confidence to excel. Her ability to combine analytical insight with compassionate connection makes her a standout figure in a traditionally fast-paced, high-pressure environment. Jody's influence extends beyond the office. She is committed to community engagement, supporting Team Buche Cares' initiatives that promote food accessibility to the communities around her. Team Buche Cares fed more than 100,000 people in 2024. Her dedication to both business excellence and social impact exemplifies the qualities of a true Woman of Influence.

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2025 Women of Influence

Johanna Hinkle

Director, Portfolio Management, Innovation and Incubation Center, Toshiba Global Commerce Solutions

Johanna Hinkle is a dynamic leader in the food industry. Through her work with ELERA Security Suite at Toshiba, she drives innovation and delivers impactful solutions. Her unwavering dedication to empowering retailers transforms how major grocers combat shrink, enhance operational efficiency and improve customer experiences. By expanding ELERA to a global scale, she helps retailers achieve measurable success with AI-driven loss prevention and edge computing technology. Her approach to collaborating directly with retailers to understand challenges and implement tailored solutions results in significant ROI for food industry retailers. Her efforts in applying cutting-edge AI, computer vision and real-time insights through ELERA delivered tangible results to reduce shrink and improve operational resilience. A role model for aspiring professionals, she actively mentors colleagues, fostering innovation and encouraging participation in invention challenges for patent applications. Her extended contributions include championing women in technology and offering support, guidance and advocacy that inspires others to grow. Her impact is further amplified through her mentorship and advocacy, encouraging the next generation of innovators in the industry. Johanna's contributions to the food industry reflect her passion for creating safer, smarter retail environments.

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2025 Women of Influence

Johanna Maldonado

Director of Diversity and Inclusion, Stop & Shop

With more than 25 years in the grocery industry, Johanna Maldonado finds deep purpose in her role, leading with transparency, integrity and accountability. In her first year in the position, Johanna has impacted the culture of inclusion and belonging at Stop & Shop.
She champions the recognition of diverse talent, advising on an executive leadership workshop focused on discovering unseen talent and supporting those who may be overlooked. Johanna also created Career Tours, where she engages with diverse associates to discuss their career aspirations.
Under her leadership, the Associate Resource Groups have evolved from a developing concept to thriving communities of belonging, celebration and service. With seven ARGs, the leadership roles are now sought after and she has inspired executive sponsors while building a structure that empowers the teams to thrive.
Johanna's passion extends beyond Stop & Shop through her involvement in several organizations, including serving on the board of directors for Neva, Food Bank of Western MA and Providence Ministries. She also is a member of the Activations and serves on Embrace Boston's event host committee.

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2025 Women of Influence

Jonikka Umbaugh

Store Director, Lowes Foods

Jonikka Umbaugh has consistently demonstrated exceptional performance and dedication, significantly contributing to the success of her store, as well as the organization. Among key achievements, she has: • Maintained an average mystery shop score of 99.2 percent year to date, delivering exceptional guest service and operational excellence. • Scored 95 percent on the internal food safety audit, demonstrating adherence to food safety standards and protocols. • Achieved a 16 percent front porch conversion rate, surpassing the goal of 10 percent. • Ensured 98 percent on-time training completion across the total store year to date, emphasizing their dedication to staff development and operational readiness. • Actively mentored the co-manager and store director in trainings for the division, contributing to leadership development and team cohesion. • Played a key role in developing, testing and implementing the Upskilling program for Lowes Foods stores, showcasing innovation and dedication to continuous improvement. • Consistently exceeded performance expectations, demonstrating a strong commitment to excellence and continuous improvement. Her contributions have not only enhanced operational efficiency but also fostered a positive and productive work environment. Her leadership in mentoring and program development further underscores her value to the team and the organization.

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2025 Women of Influence

Julia Mac Meekin

Centralized Solutions Senior Manager, Niagara Bottling

Julia Mac Meekin has several gifts as an innovative leader. She takes the time to observe and reflect and then brings her team along on a journey to deliver results.
Julia leads with passion while at the same time demonstrating a purpose to inspire creativity and insight among those in her span of care. She is eager to learn and grow her skills and of those of her team.
Julia has a future-focused mindset. With her history and background in understanding other cultures, she is poised to help her company and team soar to great heights.

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