The Shelby-Griffin Report presents the 21st annual tribute to Women of Influence in the food industry. For 21 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.
2026 Women of Influence
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2026 Women of InfluenceGeri Downing
Front End Associate, Harris Teeter
Read MoreGeri Downing consistently demonstrates what it means to lead with passion for her work, her team and the customers she serves each day. In her current role, her commitment goes far beyond completing tasks; she builds connections, fosters trust and ensures every customer feels valued when they walk through the doors.
Downing sets the standard for excellence. Her positive attitude, strong work ethic and compassion inspire those around her to take pride in their roles. She leads not by title but by action, showing up each day with integrity, energy and a heart for service.
Customers shop this store just to see Downing, and she puts a smile on everyone's face, creating an experience that keeps them coming back.
Downing has been recognized multiple times as Associate of the Month, reflecting her consistent performance and dedication. In the past three years, she was voted Service Hero of the Year twice by peers and customers, a testament to her impact.
Most notably, when she won in 2025, she selflessly passed the recognition to another associate, embodying our "With You and For You" philosophy and her team-first mindset.
At the Rea Farms Harris Teeter, Downing makes community happen and is a true Woman of Influence.
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2026 Women of InfluenceGlaucia Afonso
Manager, Stop & Shop
Read MoreGlaucia Afonso aligns with Stop & Shop's culture and upholds core values. She is a trusted leader in her district, known for offering insight and support to her peers. Her energetic and positive leadership fosters trust and empowerment among her team encouraging associates to make decisions in the best interest of the customer and company.
Afonso balances humor with accountability, creating an environment where her team feels energized and dedicated to doing their best work. As a result, the team remains engaged, maintains excellent morale and delivers outstanding results. Her focus on talent development and succession planning has been instrumental in strengthening the team.
As a district mentor, Afonso plays a key role in developing future leaders by onboarding new assistant and store managers, guiding them through operational standards. In addition, she has successfully promoted and backfilled key roles, ensuring operational continuity and growth in her store. She did this by backfilling a grocery manager position, promoting a part-time HBC clerk to full time, preparing a tenured deli lead to step into a deli manager role and mentoring a floral lead who continues to drive sales and unit growth. Afonso's ability to listen, respect and support her team has helped cultivate high morale in her store. Beyond her role, she leads community food drives for A Place to Turn and the Natick Service Council, collecting more than 3,000 units in 2025.
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2026 Women of InfluenceGrace Gruber
Director, Mid-Atlantic Division, JOH
Read MoreIn her time with JOH, Grace Gruber has played an important role in the continued growth and success of the region through her strategic insight, leadership and deep industry knowledge.
Gruber has been instrumental in developing and implementing processes that have strengthened collaboration and improved efficiency across the Mid-Atlantic team. Clients, customers and teammates value her thoughtful approach, strong communication and commitment to delivering results.
Gruber represents the region and JOH with professionalism and creativity, bringing forward ideas that help drive success for clients and customers alike. She combines strategic thinking with strong follow-through and a genuine passion for exceeding expectations.
Gruber is a valued member of the JOH team, appreciated for the leadership, thoughtfulness and enthusiasm she brings to the organization each day.
Gruber lives in Central Pennsylvania with her husband, Matt, and their two children. When not working, she enjoys traveling, attending concerts and spending time with family and friends on the beach, ski slopes or wherever life takes them.
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2026 Women of InfluenceGretchen Johnson
Category Manager, Gelson's Markets
Read MoreGretchen Johnson brings a sharp, merchant-first mindset to her role overseeing key center store categories, including baking, cereals, snacks and pantry staples.
Johnson has a strong ability to spot emerging trends and translate them into assortments that feel both relevant and elevated for Gelson's customers. Her vendor relationships and product curation consistently strike the right balance between everyday essentials and distinctive, premium offerings.
In addition to her merchandising leadership, Johnson serves on the Gelson's Foundation board of directors, helping shape the company's philanthropic strategy and deepen its community impact. She approaches both sides of her role with intention -- driving business performance while staying grounded in purpose.
Her influence can be seen across store shelves and within the communities Gelson's supports, making her a valued leader who connects product, people and purpose.
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2026 Women of InfluenceGricelda Deluna
Repack Supervisor, Stemilt Growers
Read MoreGricelda Deluna embodies what it means to pack "world famous fruit." Celebrating 35 years at Stemilt this summer, she has set the standard for how a production department should operate with a quality‑first mindset.
Deluna's held many roles at Stemilt that have shaped her skillset, from beginning as a hand packer to becoming a pear and cherry supervisor to her current role.
Deluna is one of the highest‑performing leaders in production. She leads with compassion, accountability and a deep sense of ownership in every decision she makes. She manages six-seven repack lines in one of the most fast‑paced and dynamic areas of the operation, demonstrating the coordination, calm and leadership required to keep everything running smoothly.
Her understanding of Stemilt's business is exceptional and she passes that knowledge on to her team. Doing what's right is second nature to her. What truly sets Deluna apart and makes her an outstanding WOI honoree, is her ability to balance a demanding workload while showing genuine care for the people around her, like making Christmas gifts for everyone. She approaches each day with patience, empathy and unwavering commitment.
Deluna's leadership reflects not only her personal values but the best of Stemilt's culture. She is a role model, a steady force and a cornerstone of the company's success.
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2026 Women of InfluenceHannah Smith
Director of Front-End Operations, K-VA-T Food Stores, dba Food City
Read MoreHannah Smith joined the Food City team in 1995, serving as a part-time courtesy clerk while attending high school. Having served in key positions throughout the company, she was promoted in 2016 to front-end special projects and e-commerce manager for the corporate headquarters.
Smith was promoted in 2019 to her current position, where she oversees all front-end operations, including customer checkout, cash handling and pricing initiatives at store level and for the company's fuel centers. She also collaborates with human relations coordinators on hiring and associate engagement initiatives.
Her understanding of front-end operations, coupled with her leadership skills, drives her commitment to progress and goal achievement. She is passionate about guiding the front-end supervision team she leads, fostering collaboration among various departments and continually exploring ways to enhance customer service efficiency and effectiveness.
Smith is also a member of Food City's Empower Women's Group, which further demonstrates her dedication to networking, mentorship and providing opportunities for growth and advancement within the company.
Her leadership style not only benefits those on her team but also contributes to the overall success of the organization. She sets a great example of how to effectively lead a team in today's diverse and inclusive work environment.
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2026 Women of InfluenceHeather Standifer
Executive Director, Marketing and AIM, Associated Wholesale Grocers
Read MoreHeather Standifer is an AWG executive whose leadership blends commercial brilliance with community impact. Recently promoted, she oversees a program supporting 1,300 member stores. In 2025, her strategic oversight contributed to $6 billion in total retail sales -- marking 12 consecutive years of growth -- and accounted for 22 percent of AWG's 42,000 new item distribution points. Standifer consistently exceeds her mandate, driving a 15 percent increase in digital offer redemptions by streamlining complex execution processes. Recognizing shifting demographics, she spearheaded a new ethnic ad group for the Hispanic market, launching Spanish in-store advertisements and targeted promotions. Her commitment to mentorship ensures this success is sustainable, as she guides new talent through the complexities of competitive merchandising. Beyond the office, Standifer's dedication to social restoration is extraordinary. She volunteers weekly with the Freedom Fighters ministry, providing direct advocacy for survivors of human trafficking and domestic violence. Her efforts provide tangible lifelines, including securing employment, vehicles and new identities for those in need. Furthermore, through AWG Cares, she has secured critical grants for the Kansas City Pregnancy Clinic and IHAN.
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2026 Women of InfluenceHenley Coulter
EVP Client Experience for Branded Services, Advantage Solutions
Read MoreBefore being promoted to her current role in 2026, Henley Coulter served as head of business development for Advantage Solutions' manufacturer-focused branded services -- a portfolio spanning HQ sales, retail merchandising, order to cash, supply chain, AMP Agency and experiential services -- while simultaneously overseeing corporate marketing for the entire enterprise.
Managing a 15-person team and reporting to the chief growth officer, Henley's impact in 2025 was most powerfully demonstrated through her "New Business is Everyone's Business" campaign. She restructured the dedicated business development team, built a centralized one-best-way process and equipped teams across the organization with selling tools and training to confidently cross-sell services.
The results speak for themselves: 40 percent year-over-year growth and a 25 percent increase in net new business wins for Advantage Solutions.
Beyond her commercial achievements, Henley is a connector and culture builder. She is a member of Advantage's Belonging & Impact Council and participates in two ERGs -- WIN, supporting women in the workplace; and PRISM, supporting the LGBTQIA+ community.
She mentors graduates through the R.E.A.D.Y. rotational program and chairs the curriculum for the Ambassador high-potential talent program.
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2026 Women of InfluenceHye Suk Makley
Mechnical Engineer III, Toshiba Global Commerce Solutions
Read MoreHye Suk Makley exemplifies the powerful impact of results-driven leadership paired with deep personal integrity. As an innovator, she consistently elevates operational performance while empowering teams.
Known for her disciplined, analytical approach, Makley delivers measurable outcomes that streamline processes, strengthen cross-functional collaboration and drive initiatives that directly improve customer experience, product quality and organizational efficiency.
Her leadership philosophy is rooted in clarity, empathy and accountability, creating an environment where teams feel supported and challenged to excel. This is especially evident in her work on self-checkout systems, where she optimizes end-to-end operational workflows to improve speed, reliability and user experience. She is pivotal in shaping solutions that reduce friction for customers while lowering operational overhead for store teams.
Makley's deep technical expertise and problem-solving mindset earned her the title of Toshiba Master Inventor, with eight issued patents in the retail and food industry space. She is sought after to solve tough engineering problems that top food retailers face on a daily basis, working across teams and disciplines to develop solutions that drive measurable, enterprise-wide impact.
Her ability to mentor emerging talent, develop high-performing teams and foster inclusive dialogue has earned her the respect of colleagues and partners at all levels.
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2026 Women of InfluenceIrma Trias
Category Manager -- Grocery, Superior Grocers
Read MoreIrma Trias is a veteran of the grocery business, with extensive experience spanning store operations and years in purchasing. She brings passion, professionalism and deep industry knowledge to everything she does. As an important member of Superior Grocers' purchasing team, she leverages her experience to negotiate effectively and help grow brands in partnership with vendors.
Trias recently completed the Leadership Development Course at Superior Grocers, gaining additional skills that have further enhanced her ability to mentor and develop team members. She is respected within the vendor community as a strong business partner who is always looking for opportunities to nurture emerging brands and expand existing ones.
Trias' leadership, commitment and impact make this recognition well‑deserved.
Celebrating the Women of Influence in the food industry for 21 years!
Presented by The Shelby-Griffin Report
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