Amy Niemetscheck, president and CEO of Wisconsin-based Certco Inc., was recently named the first chairwomen of the Retailer Owned Food Distributors and Associates Board of Directors (ROFDA).
“Taking on the role as the first female as chair of ROFDA at the Fall 2025 Conference was a tremendous honor,” Niemetscheck said. “It is a privilege to serve the greater voice of several national warehouse cooperatives with an amazing board of directors.
“As we are each CEOs of our 100-percent retail-owned organizations, we are fortunate to thrive as the independent grocery store owners thrive. I’m honored that the board of directors supports me in this role, and I got here no differently than any of them – it was my leadership and my smarts that put me here, along with my ability to listen to our retailer owners and support their needs.
“The fact that I’m the first female in this role, that is just the cherry on top. And with that, I bring slightly different but much-needed perspective to the room. ROFDA has amazing momentum after the 2025 successful fall conference, and I look forward to keeping that moving forward the next two years I’m in this role.”
Mark Deuschle, president and CEO of ROFDA, described Niemetscheck as “one of the most respected and forward-thinking leaders” in the grocery industry.
“Her deep understanding of independent retail, paired with her operational discipline at Certco, makes her uniquely qualified to guide ROFDA at a time when our organization is evolving in meaningful ways,” he said.
Deuschle went on to note that Niemetscheck will help accelerate ROFDA’s work to create easier, more efficient and more strategic engagement with its CPG and supplier partners.
“Under her leadership, ROFDA is strengthening a one-to-many platform that empowers suppliers to connect across our entire membership – impacting wholesalers and the independent retailers they serve – with greater scale, simplicity and shared value,” he said.
“I’m confident Amy will help shape the next era of ROFDA’s growth and deepen our collective impact across the independent grocery ecosystem.”
Mike Violette, president and CEO of Associated Grocers New England and immediate past chairman of ROFDA, agreed.
“Serving as ROFDA’s chairman has been an honor, and I’m incredibly proud of what we’ve accomplished together. As I pass the torch to Amy Niemetscheck, I do so with full confidence in her leadership.
“Amy brings energy, clarity and a forward-thinking perspective that will only strengthen ROFDA’s impact on our members and our industry.”
Becoming the first female board chair of ROFDA is the latest achievement in Niemetscheck’s career and another way she brings to life her words of “driving change and inspiration one case at a time.”
Niemetscheck has said she often reflects on the nontraditional way she became part of the grocery industry and, most importantly, the love she has for independent grocers.
Her career began in the accounting realm, where she spent more than a decade helping businesses and organizations generate growth and financial success. It was during this time that she realized her true passion for leadership.
Niemetscheck had seen a variety of leadership styles, all of which molded her into the leader she desired to become. She addressed this earlier in 2025 as a guest on the Women Grocers of America podcast “Grocery from Her Seat,” hosted by Kristin Popp, WGA president and EVP of Woodman’s Markets, a Wisconsin-based independent grocery retailer.
As Niemetscheck shared, she and her husband, Justin, started their family in 2009 with the birth of their daughter. By 2013, they had welcomed two sons. In 2011, she had the opportunity to join Certco Inc. as CFO.
In that role, she learned all about the business and the grocery industry. While she enjoyed the accounting and finance work, Niemetscheck said she appreciated the Certco family even more. A conversation with Randy Simon, her mentor and predecessor, set the stage for her to succeed him at the helm of Certco in 2019.
Since that time, Niemetscheck has championed 250 independent grocers that are part of Certco’s retail owners and members. She has led the board and nearly 600 employees who work daily to grow the company and Midwest independent retailers.
Niemetscheck, who received the 2025 Woman of the Year Award from the National Grocers of America and the WGA and was the first inductee into Shelby Publishing’s Women Executive Exemplary Society, is quick to note that the grocery industry is “challenging every day – that is a constant.” She credits her success to the support of both her family and work family.
And instead of chasing a work-life balance, she encourages others to be fully present – whether that’s “in the board room, on the warehouse floor or cheering for your kids on the soccer field.”
Justyne Uribe, Certco’s EVP of merchandising and marketing, has taken that to heart.
“Amy is a great leader,” Uribe said. “She leads by example and is constantly challenging us to grow as individuals and as a leadership team. Amy has an open-door policy and is always there to help us turn challenges into wins.”
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