-By Steven Lichtenstein

Within this issue, we once again proudly celebrate Progressive Grocer's 2010 Top Women in Grocery (TWIG) recipients. In doing so, we are thrilled to provide well-deserved recognition to women across all channels of the industry who demonstrate their exemplary leadership and commitment every day.

Some of our Top Women honorees are at the forefront of their companies, some are outstanding up-and-comers who are well on their way to roles of increasing importance, and our other Top Women winners represent some of the best store managers in the business.

Yet, while their backgrounds and specific duties might differ, they are all outstanding contributors to the grocery industry, model citizens in their respective communities and role models for other aspiring women — both within and outside of the food industry.
As we all know, the grocery industry has historically been dominated by men, with women often in secondary positions.

Obviously, that's all changed, and it's changed in a very short period of time. Women's increasingly important role in the overall workforce has played a huge hand in spurring change within our industry. But also in play are the hard work and dedication of many who oversee their company's diversity programs from both the manufacturer and retailer sides of the business.

Working hand in hand, a number of groups provide networking and training opportunities for women. One of these groups worth mentioning here is the Network of Executive Women, also known as NEW. Under the leadership of its executive director, Joan Toth, NEW, founded in 2001, has more than 2,000 members from more than 400 companies and 63 corporate sponsors, and educates industry leaders about the benefits of gender diversity — and best practice knowledge to help achieve it — while also supporting the career development of the senior-level and emerging industry leaders who comprise its membership.

As for PG's TWIG program, awards recognize three distinct categories — Senior-Level Executives, Rising Stars and Store Managers — and are based on nominations collected from executives across the industry. Often, these nominations come to us from a nominee's direct report, or associate. The criteria for being named by TWIG go far beyond the nominee’s contributions to her respective organization. We also take into account the nominee's involvement in the community and general outreach to others.

While we are pleased to celebrate all of our Top Women award winners, I'm sure that there are many women in our industry who have not been nominated, but deserve recognition as much as anyone you'll read about in the pages of this issue.

In fact, Progressive Grocer's editorial, sales and research teams are staffed by an outstanding group of women whose contributions help bring this magazine and our online content to market each and every day. With this in mind, I would like to take this opportunity to recognize our own Top Women in Grocery, whose combined contributions on behalf of Progressive Grocer are substantial.

Meg Major, Editor-in-Chief: Meg was recently promoted as our Chief Editor after having served as Senior Editor, Fresh Food Editor and, most recently, Executive Editor throughout her 11-year-career with PG. Meg is well known, trusted and respected throughout the industry, and is a huge asset to Progressive Grocer. In addition to her professional talents and accomplishments, Meg also has a another full-time job as a mom, as well as serving as a community volunteer with a variety of local organizations. In short, her insights as a working mom — and avid shopper — provide our readers with an invaluable edge.

Bridget Goldschmidt, Managing Editor: As one of the hardest-working members of our editorial team — or, for that matter, any editorial team — Bridget's talents, commitment and dedication are a steadying force. In addition to producing a considerable editorial coverage and content, Bridget functions quietly in the background, day in and day out, to ensure that the print magazine and our online content are produced on time and are accurate. Bridget is the true unsung hero of Progressive Grocer.

Debra Chanil, Director of Market Research: A cornerstone of Progressive Grocer throughout its 88-year history has been its unparalleled market research, and, for the past few years, it’s been thanks largely to Debra's hard work and dedication. Many companies in the market — both retailers and manufacturers — rely heavily on the data and insights produced by Debra's market research projects, which provide PG with a significant point of difference.

Sandra Smith, Advertising Director: Sandra has been with Progressive Grocer for over 10 years, and is the "dean of our sales team." Sandra is well liked and appreciated by all, and considered by her customers to be a true marketing partner.

Janet Blaney, Associate Publisher, Progressive Grocer's Store Brands: Janet recently joined Progressive Grocer to spearhead our sales efforts on the exciting new Progressive Grocer's Store Brands, which will launch this coming July. Janet is also well known and respected for her market knowledge, insight, and ability to form long-lasting relationships with our advertisers.

Kathie Canning, Editor, Progressive Grocer's Store Brands: Kathie joined our team two months ago to become the Editor of our Store Brands publication. An accomplished journalist, Kathie has an amazing eye for detail and is known by many as the industry's foremost authority on store brands.

So here’s to our own Top Women in Grocery! This industry is certainly a better place with your talents and efforts.

Steven Lichtenstein
Publisher