Get Adobe Flash player

Publix Shuffles C-Suite as CEO Jones Becomes Executive Chairman

Effective Jan. 1, Publix CEO Todd Jones will become executive chairman, President Kevin Murphy will be promoted to CEO, and Senior Vice President John Goff will be promoted to president. Chairman of the Board Ed Crenshaw will remain on the board of directors as chairman emeritus.

Jones began his career in 1980 as a front service clerk in New Smyrna Beach, Fla. He worked in various positions before becoming a store manager in 1988. He was promoted to district manager in 1997, regional director in 1999 and vice president of the Jacksonville Division in 2003. In 2005, Jones was promoted to senior vice president of product business development. He was named president in 2008, CEO and president in 2016 and CEO in 2019.

“Todd has been an outstanding leader,” said Crenshaw. “He has been committed to continuing Publix’s success and passionate about the development and promotion of our associates. We’re pleased he will continue to provide leadership to our company as executive chairman.”

Murphy began his career in 1984 as a front service clerk in Margate, Fla. He worked in various positions before becoming a store manager in 1995. He was promoted to district manager in 2003, regional director in 2009, and vice president of the Miami Division in 2014. In 2016, Murphy was promoted to senior vice president of retail operations. He was named president in 2019.

Goff began his career in 1991 as a front service clerk in Jacksonville, Fla. He worked in various positions before becoming a store manager in 2005. He was promoted to district manager in 2010, regional director in 2014, and vice president of the Miami Division in 2019. In 2022, Goff was promoted to senior vice president of retail operations.

“We are delighted to have leaders with the experience of Kevin and John who are ready to take the next steps in their careers,” said Jones. “I am confident in their ability to lead our company into the future and to continue to make Publix a great place to shop for our customers and a great place to work for our associates.”

Publix, the largest employee-owned company in the United States with more than 250,000 associates,  operates 1,358 stores in Florida, Georgia, Alabama, Tennessee, South Carolina, North Carolina and Virginia. For 26 consecutive years, the company has been recognized by Fortune as a great place to work. In addition, Publix’s dedication to superior quality and customer service is recognized among the top in the grocery business. For more information, visit the company’s newsroom at corporate.publix.com/newsroom.

For more news of interest to the grocery industry, subscribe to Gourmet News.

Newman’s Own Foundation Launches $100K Community Giveaway

Newman’s Own Foundation, the private foundation founded by legendary actor, racecar driver and philanthropist Paul Newman to carry on his legacy of giving away 100 percent of all the profits and royalties it receives from the sale of Newman’s Own food and beverages, announced the launch of Newman’s Own $100k Community Giveaway. As part of this new initiative, Newman’s Own Foundation invites members of the public to join the Newman’s Own Community Fund and vote from a shortlist of selected food justice organizations to determine which will receive a share of more than $100,000 in funding.

As we approach the holiday season, food justice for children and families remains a pressing issue. According to the recent annual report by The U.S. Department of Agriculture, 13.4 million children lived in households that experienced food insecurity in 2022, up 44.6 percent from 2021. Newman’s Own Foundation has been working with leading, community-based food justice organizations as part of its mission to nourish and transform the lives of children who face adversity. For the Newman’s Own $100k Community Giveaway, the Foundation has shortlisted 15 of its 2023 grantee partners that are working towards addressing the root causes of food insecurity for children, with an emphasis on nutritious food in schools and indigenous food justice.

“Leading up to Giving Tuesday, we’re doing something different and asking the public to vote and help us give away more than $100,000 to support food justice for kids,” said Alex Amouyel, president and CEO, Newman’s Own Foundation. “It’s unacceptable that children go to school hungry in this country. Now more than ever, we know that we need to work with incredible community-based organizations that can address root causes and bring forth community-based solutions including relying on centuries of indigenous wisdom when it comes to regenerative agriculture and healthy eating to promote food justice for kids.”

To participate, members of the public may register for free with Newman’s Own Community Fund and then cast their vote. Donations are also welcome, and Newman’s Own Foundation will match the first $10,000 raised from the public, increasing the overall size of the giveaway.

Voting is open, with each individual eligible to vote once in each category. Final votes must be cast by Nov. 28 at 11:45 p.m. Eastern Time. Based on the total number of votes, Newman’s Own Foundation will offer three prizes for each of the two program areas (Nutritious Food in Schools and Indigenous Food Justice): $25,000, $15,000, and $10,000 as well as a share of the pooled funds raised and matched in addition.

The participating organizations in the Newman’s Own $100k Community Giveaway are:

For Nutritious Food in Schools:

For Indigenous Food Justice:

To learn more about the grantee partners, and cast a vote,  visit Newman’s Own Community Fund page here.

Newman’s Own Foundation is a private grantmaking foundation whose mission is to nourish and transform the lives of children who face adversity. The Foundation continues Paul Newman’s commitment to use all the money that it receives—100% of the profits and royalties—from the sale of Newman’s Own products in service of its mission. Through the efforts of Paul Newman and Newman’s Own, over $600 million has been given to social impact organizations since 1982. Today, Newman’s Own Foundation grantee partners promote nutritious food in schools, advocate for Indigenous food justice, and create joyful experiences for children living with serious illnesses.

For more news of interest to the specialty food industry, subscribe to Gourmet News.

HEINZ’s Open Kitchen Features Celebrity Chef Marcus Samuelsson

HEINZ announces “Open Kitchen,” a new event series from the brand’s Black Kitchen Initiative. Kicking off in partnership with world-renowned chef, Marcus Samuelsson, past and current Black Kitchen Initiative grantees will take over restaurant kitchens for exclusive pop-up experiences. Open Kitchen gives up-and-coming Black chefs new opportunities, experiences, resources, and exposure for their culinary businesses – one of the largest barriers to success in the American restaurant industry. The first takeovers will happen in New York and Atlanta.

Samuelsson – the creative and culinary force behind more than a dozen restaurants worldwide – will open two of his most iconic locations to past Black Kitchen Initiative grant recipients to kick off the program. Samuelsson will also collaborate with the chefs on exclusive dishes for each event.

  • On Dec. 6, Joy Crump and Beth Black will bring their signature Virginia flair to New York’s Red Rooster Harlem. Crump and Black own Foode + Mercantile in Fredericksburg, Va. The chefs celebrate Black culture through food, music, community and storytelling.
  • On Feb. 21, Samuelsson will open Marcus Bar & Grille in Atlanta to Lorraine “Mama” Smalls and Antwan “Cake Daddy” Smalls. The Smalls own My Three Sons in North Charleston, S.C., where they offer classic soul food with a regional Gullah flair that patrons regularly say is reminiscent of eating grandma’s homecooked meals.

“Opening a restaurant is tough business,” says Samuelsson. “From raising capital to getting people to know you are there, it’s an uphill battle, which is why I’m thrilled to partner with HEINZ on the new Open Kitchen series to provide resources and additional exposure to multiple Black Kitchen Initiative grantees. I can’t wait to see what these chefs cook up in my kitchens. The future is bright for each of them.”

The Open Kitchen series is the latest program coming out of the HEINZ Black Kitchen Initiative. Launched in 2020 in partnership with The LEE Initiative and Southern Restaurants for Racial Justice (SRRJ), the HEINZ Black Kitchen Initiative aims to celebrate and preserve the legacy of Black food culture by helping to break down barriers that keep Black voices and cooking out of America’s culinary space.

“The Black Kitchen Initiative is a hallmark program for HEINZ as we recognize the critical way America’s Black-owned food businesses continuously shape the nation’s food culture,” says Lizzy Goodman, HEINZ brand communications manager. “All Black Kitchen Initiative programming strives to set up Black food business entrepreneurs for long-term success. A key priority for us is growing and evolving the initiatives – as we’ve done with the new Open Kitchen Series – to ensure we’re addressing current challenges Black food entrepreneurs are facing in the industry.”

In addition to Open Kitchen, over the last three years, the Black Kitchen Initiative has committed a total of $3 million dollars in grants and released two seasons of the award-winning Black Kitchen Podcast Series. After announcing the latest $1 million commitment in Black Kitchen Initiative grants in July, the newest grant recipients have been selected. The full list can be found at heinz.com/blackkitchen/2023.

Foodies and fans can purchase tickets to the Black Kitchen Initiative Open Kitchen event in New York on Dec. 6 by visiting https://bit.ly/OpenKitchenHarlem. For more information about the Open Kitchen series and the Black Kitchen Initiative visit @heinzbki, @leeinitiative and @srrj_coalition on Instagram.

for more news of interest to the food and beverage industry, subscribe to Gourmet News.