PFMA Gets Albertsons VP as Board Member

The Pennsylvania Food Merchants Association (PFMA) has added to its board of directors Jonathan Cruz, VP of sales support at Albertsons Cos.

“It is always a pleasure to welcome members of the food and beverage industries to our PFMA board of directors,” noted PFMA President and CEO Alex Baloga. “We look forward to the contributions Jonathan will make, lending his experience and deep knowledge of the industry.”

[Read more: “EXCLUSIVE: Albertsons Ushers in New Era of Retail Media”]

Cruz has worked at Albertsons for more than a decade, making significant contributions at two of the company’s banners. He has more than 20 years of experience in the retail industry, having previously held managerial roles at Walmart and Giant Food.  Before he joined the retail sector, Cruz served for eight years in the U.S. Marine Corps.

PFMA is led by a 38-member board of directors that includes retail and associate members. The volunteer group shapes the trade association’s agenda. Members of the board are elected to unlimited three-year terms.

Camp Hill, Pa.-based PFMA, a statewide trade association, represents almost 500 convenience stores, supermarkets, independent grocers, wholesalers and consumer product vendors. Its members operate more than 2,400 stores and employ 250,000-plus Pennsylvanians.  

As of June 17, Boise, Idaho-based Albertsons operated 2,272 retail food and drug stores with 1,726 pharmacies, 401 associated fuel centers, 22 dedicated distribution centers and 19 manufacturing facilities. The company has stores across 34 states and the District of Columbia with 24 banners, including Albertsons, Safeway, Vons, Jewel-Osco, Shaw’s, Acme, Tom Thumb, Randalls, United Supermarkets, Pavilions, Star Market, Haggen, Carrs, Kings Food Markets and Balducci’s Food Lovers Market. Albertsons is No. 9 on The PG 100, Progressive Grocer’s 2023 list of top food and consumables retailers in North America. PG also named the company one of its Retailers of the Century.