Food Lion has named David Cooper its 2015 Store Manager of the Year. Cooper, who is the store manager of the Food Lion located at 1030 N. Rogers Ln. in Raleigh, was selected from a group of 1,100 store managers across the company.

Cooper’s store team was part of 162 stores in the Raleigh market remodeled last year as part of Food Lion’s efforts to transform the shopping experience for its customers as the company brings its “Easy, Fresh and Affordable … You Can Count on Food Lion Everyday” strategy to life.

“When I reflect on 2015, it was one of the most demanding, yet rewarding, years in my career,” Cooper said after receiving the award Tuesday. “Receiving this award is less about me and more about my team who helped our store excel last year. I’m truly humbled to be their leader and so proud of this achievement for our entire store for taking care of our customers and the community.”

Cooper was honored at an annual event at Food Lion’s headquarters in Salisbury, which was attended by his family and colleagues, along with Food Lion associates across the company.

“Today is one of my favorite days of the year as we celebrate these excellent Food Lion store managers,” said Meg Ham, president of Food Lion. “Our store managers are the heartbeat of our organization and represent the towns and cities we serve. This is where our brand, our strategy and everything we do comes to life for our customers. Our associates are extremely loyal to our organization and we are so fortunate to have tremendous leaders across all of our 1,100 stores. David is an exceptional leader and demonstrates care for his customers and communities. His store team embodies our culture and values and we know we can count on them to serve our customers and communities, with excellence, every day.”

Cooper, who is also Food Lion’s 2015 Mid-Atlantic Division winner, is originally from Savannah, Ga. He has been with Food Lion for 25 years.  He joined Food Lion in Pooler, Ga., working as a dairy clerk. Throughout his Food Lion career, he held positions of increasing responsibility as a produce manager, grocery manager and store manager.

“David has a true passion for serving his customers, leading his associates and helping people in his community,” said Troy Leshko, Mid-Atlantic division vice president for Food Lion. “David’s key strength is humility, and he pushes himself and his team to be their best every single day no matter the circumstance. He has very high standards and consistently delivers the best of Food Lion to his customers every day.”

To honor Cooper and his exemplary community service, the company will donate $2,000 to the store’s local food bank, which is the Food Bank of Central & Eastern North Carolina in Raleigh. Cooper and his team support this food bank through volunteerism projects and food donations throughout the year.

In addition to Cooper being selected as Food Lion’s Store Manager of the Year, four store managers were recognized for exceptional leadership. The 2015 Division Store Manager Excellence Award recipients include:

• Cheryl Collins, store manager at 11801 Coastal Highway, in Ocean City, Md.
• Kim Rollins, store manager at 8118 Blair Road, in Mint Hill, N.C.
• Christopher Hardee, store manager at 7601 N. Kings Highway, in Myrtle Beach, S.C.
• Tony Allred, store manager at 1327 E. Dixie Drive, in Asheboro, N.C.

Food Lion will also donate $1,000 to each of the feeding agencies served by these stores in honor of the division winners.