Food Lion’s 2022 Store Manager of the Year Revealed

José Magaña, store manager of a Food Lion in Greensboro, N.C., has been named Food Lion’s 2022 Ralph W. Ketner Store Manager of the Year. Magaña was chosen from more than 1,100 store managers across the grocer’s 10-state operating area. As well as bestowing the honor, Food Lion will donate 20,000 meals in Magaña’s name to Greensboro-based RePurpose through the Food Lion Feeds hunger-relief initiative.

“When I joined Food Lion, I was fortunate to have leaders who saw something in me that I didn’t,” said Magaña. “They pushed me, coached me, trained me and gave me all the resources I needed to become successful. At Food Lion, I feel empowered, welcomed and appreciated. Our neighbors count on us to be there when they need us the most, and we take that responsibility seriously.”

Named after one of Food Lion’s founders and presented annually, the Ralph W. Ketner Store Manager Excellence Awards celebrate and recognize outstanding Food Lion store managers who make an impact on those around them.

Magaña came to the United States when he was 1 year old and joined Food Lion 13 years ago as a bagger while in high school. He then took on roles of increasing responsibility throughout the store, ultimately being named a store manager in 2021, and he now leads a dedicated team of nearly 90 associates. Magaña is also passionate about making a difference in the community, and he and other associates at his store routinely volunteer and to support their neighbors.

In addition to Magaña’s selection as Food Lion’s Store Manager of the Year, four other store managers were recognized for exceptional leadership as with 2022 Divisional Store Manager Excellence Awards:

• Mid-Atlantic Division: Shane Barnes, 3926 Western Boulevard, Raleigh, N.C.
• Northern Division: Jared Mitchell, 125 South Main Street, Hillsville, Va.
• Richmond/Norfolk Division: Christian Dendy, 1313 North Road Street, Elizabeth City, N.C.
• Southern Division: Mike Strange, 330 Lebby Street, Pelzer, S.C.

“José is a great leader who embodies the role our store managers have in caring for their associates and the towns and cities they serve,” said Food Lion President Meg Ham. “Every day, our store managers serve their neighbors with dedication, compassion, and an understanding of how their associates and communities count on them. I am proud to recognize these five leaders and share my appreciation for everything they do to bring our brand, strategy and culture to life in their stores and in their communities.”

Salisbury, N.C.-based Food Lion has more than 1,100 stores in 10 Southeastern and Mid-Atlantic states, and employs more than 82,000 associates. 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.