Two Food Lion Leaders Named to Progressive Grocer’s 2012 Top Women in Grocery List

Wanda Marshburn, Hampton Roads Director of Operations, and 2011 Food Lion Store Manager of the Year Donna Epley Receive Top Honors

Progressive Grocer magazine has named two Food Lion leaders to its prestigious 2012 Top Women in Grocery list, which is one of the food industry’s highest honors.

Wanda Marshburn, director of operations for Food Lion stores in the Hampton Roads, Va., area, and Donna Epley, recently named the 2011 Food Lion Store Manager of the Year from Virginia Beach, Va., are featured in the magazine’s June issue as outstanding leaders in the grocery industry.

The 2012 Top Women in Grocery list was comprised of three categories — Senior-Level Executives, Rising Stars, and Store managers. Marshburn is included in the publication’s “Rising Star” category and Epley is listed in the “Store Manager” category.

“Wanda and Donna are extraordinary leaders and are truly deserving of this recognition,” said James Egan, Food Lion senior vice president of operations. “Each of these leaders has a deep commitment to excellence and makes a tremendous difference each day in the lives of our associates, customers and the communities we serve.”

Marshburn joined Food Lion in 1986, and she currently oversees 65 stores with more than 2,500 associates under her leadership. She is very active with the military community in Norfolk, Va. Last year, she led an effort for her stores to connect with families of active military serving at the Norfolk Naval Base. Each time a ship returned to the naval base, Marshburn and her store associates would host special “Welcome Home” events for military spouses and their children.

Epley joined Food Lion 27 years ago and has been a store manager for the past 12 years. In addition to achieving excellent store performance results, she is a strong supporter of local community initiatives. In 2011, Epley’s Portsmouth, Va., store raised more than $12,000, which is three times her store goal for community initiatives that benefit Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals, Hunger Has A Cure and Easter Seals.

The company recognized Epley for her outstanding performance while working last year at the Food Lion store located at 5610 Portsmouth Blvd., in Portsmouth, Va. Epley currently manages the Food Lion store located at 6527 College Park Square in Virginia Beach, Va.

Progressive Grocer’s Top Women in Grocery recognizes grocery retail leaders who demonstrate excellence in leadership daily throughout the industry, their stores and the communities where they proudly live and work. Both leaders will receive their award on Nov. 3 during a special cocktail dinner celebration at the InterContinental Chicago, O’Hare in Chicago.

About Food Lion

Food Lion, based in Salisbury, N.C., is a company of Delhaize America, the U.S. division of Brussels-based Delhaize Group (NYSE: DEG) and operates more than 1,100 supermarkets. The company employs approximately 57,000 associates delivering quality products, low prices and service to customers in 10 Southeastern and Mid-Atlantic states. For more information, visit www.foodlion.com.