Nerissa Johnson named Food Lion’s 2017 Store Manager of the Year

SALISBURY — Food Lion store manager Nerissa Johnson cares so much for her customers, you would think they were part of her family.

In return for that special care, her Columbia, North Carolina, customers shop the store daily not only to buy products — sometimes they just want to visit her and her associates. It is that special connection that earned Johnson Food Lion’s coveted Ralph W. Ketner Store Manager of the Year designation Thursday at the company’s headquarters in Salisbury.

“When I turn the key to my store every day, I pray that I never forget the value of people so they will find value in us,” Johnson told hundreds of Food Lion associates in the audience. “I just feel so overjoyed and humbled right now and happy for my team.”

Johnson, who serves as the store manager of the Food Lion located on 625 U.S. Highway 64 East in Columbia was selected from a group of more than 1,000 store managers across the company. She and three other Food Lion store managers from Lancaster, N.C.; Newport News, Va.; and Colonial Heights, Va., were named earlier this week as the company’s divisional winners representing their different regions.

“This is my favorite day of the year because it’s a day in honor of all of our store managers and who they are to our customers, our store associates, our total organization and to me personally,” Food Lion President Meg Ham told the crowd. “Although we are honoring the top four divisional winners and naming our Store Manager of the Year, today is about highlighting all of our more than 1,000 store managers because they are the heartbeat in the towns and cities where we operate.”

Johnson grew up in the grocery business and, as a second-generation grocer, is carrying on the legacy of being a community grocer started by her father. She has nearly 27 years of experience with Food Lion and has done many extraordinary things over the past year leading her associates and ensuring that her customers are a first priority, including leading Food Lion Feeds community projects while increasing store sales and developing her 40 associates.

In addition to Johnson being selected as Food Lion’s Store Manager of the Year, three other store managers were recognized for exceptional leadership. The 2017 Division Store Manager Excellence Award recipients include: 

• Erica Hayes, store manager at 980 J Clyde Morris Blvd, Newport News.
• Greta Simmons, store manager at 11 Dunlop Village, Colonial Heights.
• Adam Threatt, store manager at 937 N. Main St., Lancaster.

Food Lion’s Ralph W. Ketner Store Manager Excellence Awards recognize and honor exceptional store managers who enrich the lives of Food Lion’s customers, associates and the communities they serve, successfully lead their business and support and inspire others.

Local soup kitchens to be honored by Food Lion Feeds

SALISBURY — This Valentine’s Day week, select soup kitchens that do outstanding work for their communities received some love from Food Lion Feeds as they are recognized as “Souper Star Kitchens.” As part of the recognition, Food Lion associate volunteers donated soup and other food items as well as helped prepare and serve meals for hungry families. In addition, the grocer provided a special token of appreciation to the volunteers and staff at the feeding agencies.

“We are proud to partner with so many wonderful soup kitchens in our local communities,” said Emma Inman, director of external communications and community relations at Food Lion. “Food Lion is committed to fighting hunger across our 10-state footprint to make sure no one has to choose between dinner and rent or gas and groceries. These ‘Souper Star Kitchens’ are doing tremendous work to help end hunger and we are fortunate to partner with them.”

Local soup kitchens honored as “Souper Star Kitchens” include:

Feb. 12 – The Master’s Table – Augusta, Georgia

The Master’s Table soup kitchen is located in downtown Augusta and serves more than 300 meals daily throughout the year to those in need. Food Lion associates prepared soup and other items for lunch, from 11 a.m. to noon, then served meals to those in need.

Feb. 13 – Isabella’s Kitchen at The Harvest Center – Charlotte, N.C.

Isabella’s Kitchen at The Harvest Center of Charlotte serves breakfast and lunch to an average of 100 individuals in need on Tuesdays and Wednesdays every week. Food Lion associates donated food for a lunch service and prepared and served the meal.

Feb. 14 – Potter’s House Community Kitchen at Greensboro Urban Ministry – Greensboro, N.C.

Potter’s House Community Kitchen at Greensboro Urban Ministry serves lunch to more than 200 individuals every day, as well as breakfast and dinner for individuals staying in Weaver House Night Shelter. Food Lion associates donated food for a lunch service and prepared and served the meal.

Feb. 15 – Love’s Kitchen – Hendersonville, N.C.

Love’s Kitchen, supported by MANNA Food Bank, is located in Hendersonville and serves one hot meal to an average of 60 individuals per week. Food Lion associates donated food for a lunch service and prepared and served the meal.

Feb. 16 – The Corner Table – Newton, N.C.

The Corner Table in Newton serves lunch to an average of 220 individuals every day. Food Lion associates donated food for a lunch service and prepared and served the meal.

This week-long effort fed more than 800 individuals in our community who are fighting hunger and provided more than 800 pounds of food to these feeding agencies. Food Lion Feeds is honored to recognize these partners as “Souper Star Kitchens” for the outstanding work they do to help feed families in need.

Through Food Lion Feeds, the company has made a commitment to provide 500 million meals to individuals and families in need by the end of 2020. Since the launch of Food Lion Feeds in 2014, the grocer has already donated more than 362 million meals through in-store campaigns, in-store food rescue programs and associate volunteerism.

Dr. Eric Troyer among first in the nation to become board certified in addiction medicine

Dr. Eric Troyer is among the first physicians in the nation to become board certified in addiction medicine, a subspecialty of the American Board of Preventative Medicine.

This is the first time addiction medicine has been a separate specialty recognized by the American Board of Medical Specialties (ABMS), the definitive physician certifying organization in the U.S.

In order to qualify to take the certifying exam last fall, Troyer was required to provide proof of extensive experience in the treatment of addiction, be board certified by another ABMS board and get the recommendation of his peers.

Knowledge of all forms of addiction, from opioid to alcohol to gambling to binge eating, was required to pass the test. Troyer scored in the top 20 percent of physicians sitting for the exam.

Troyer practices family and addiction medicine at Troyer Medical in Landis. He is certified to treat the maximum number of opioid-addicted patients — 275 — allowed by the federal government.

Edward Jones ranks No. 5 on the 2018 Fortune 100 ‘Best Companies to Work For’ by Great Place to Work and FORTUNE magazine

SALISBURY — Financial services firm Edward Jones ranks No. 5 on the 2018 FORTUNE 100 Best Companies to Work For list in its 19th appearance on the prestigious list, according to global research and consulting firm Great Place to Work and FORTUNE magazine.

The firm is the highest-ranking financial-services firm on the list.

Edward Jones, a Fortune 500 company headquartered in St. Louis, provides financial services in the U.S. and, through its affiliate, in Canada. Every aspect of the firm’s business, from the investments its financial advisors offer to the location of its branch offices, caters to individual investors.

The firm’s 15,000-plus financial advisors serve more than seven million clients and care for $1 trillion in assets under management.

Visit the firm’s website at www.edwardjones.com and its recruiting website at www.careers.edwardjones.com.