Biden Appoints Food Lion President to Council on Sports, Fitness & Nutrition

President Joe Biden has appointed Food Lion President Meg Ham to the President's Council on Sports, Fitness and Nutrition. The council is a federal advisory committee that aims to promote healthy, accessible eating and physical activity for all Americans, regardless of background or ability.

President Biden issued Executive Order 14048, renewing the President’s Council on Sports, Fitness & Nutrition until Sept. 30. The executive order allows for continued promotion of the National Youth Sports Strategy and provides for the work of the council to include a focus on expanding national awareness of the importance of mental health as it pertains to physical fitness and nutrition.

[Read more: "White House Takes Aim at Hunger Eradication and Health Improvement"]

"I am truly honored to be selected by President Joe Biden to serve on the President’s Council on Sports, Fitness & Nutrition,” noted Ham. “I look forward to continuing to advocate for the health and wellness of all Americans. At Food Lion, we strive to nourish neighbors and set them up for success in life. While I’m humbled by this appointment opportunity, I am excited to work with the council co-chairs and other appointees on initiatives that help strengthen the health, fitness and nutrition of citizens across the country."

As president of Food Lion, Ham leads more than 82,000 associates who serve approximately 10 million customers each week across 10 Southeastern and Mid-Atlantic states. During her more than 30-year tenure at Ahold Delhaize USA, parent company of Food Lion, Ham has held executive leadership roles in both retail operations and merchandising functions at Food Lion and its sister banner, Hannaford Supermarkets, and at the helm of Bottom Dollar Food, the company’s former discount banner. Being part of the community a company serves is a driving force for Ham. Since 2014, Food Lion Feeds, the company’s hunger-relief platform, has donated more than 1 billion meals to food-insecure neighbors across Food Lion’s operating footprint. The company has also committed to donate 1.5 billion meals by 2025. 

Ham has been recognized locally and nationally for her contributions to Food Lion and the grocery industry. She was named a 2022 Most Admired CEO by the Charlotte Business Journal and received Progressive Grocer’s 2015 Top Women in Grocery Trailblazer Award. She holds a B.S. in business management and marketing from Cornell University.

The President's Council on Sports, Fitness, and Nutrition was founded in 1956 as the President's Council on Youth Fitness by President Dwight D. Eisenhower. After more than six decades, the Council continues to strive to engage, educate and empower all Americans to adopt a healthy lifestyle that includes regular physical activity and good nutrition.

For the complete list of individuals that Biden has appointed to serve as members of the council, click here.

Salisbury, N.C.-based Food Lion operates more than 1,100 stores. Its parent company, Ahold Delhaize USA, a division of Zaandam, Netherlands-based Ahold Delhaize, is No. 10 on The PG 100, Progressive Grocer’s 2022 list of the top food and consumables retailers in North America.