FAREWAY - Key Persons
Job Titles:
- Senior Vice President of Campus Operations
Served on the Iowa Grocery Industry Association board from 2009-2019 and was the Chairman from 2016-2017.
Job Titles:
- Vice President of Category Management / Board Member for the Iowa Grocery Industry Association
Andrea Chase Vice President of Category Management Board Member for the Iowa Grocery Industry Association. Previously worked with Associated Wholesale Grocers. View Andrea Chase's profile
Job Titles:
- Vice President of the Central Region
B.J. Van Der Linden has been with Fareway since 1993, and currently holds the position of Regional Vice President of the Central Region.
B.J. started his career with Fareway by working part-time in high school in Oskaloosa, Iowa. He later worked at Fareway stores in Waterloo, Des Moines, North Liberty, Marion, Boone, Ames, and worked as the grocery manager in Pella. He became district supervisor in 2014, and before assuming his current role.
B.J. Van Der Linden Vice President of the Central Region Joined Fareway in 1993. Hold a bachelor's degree in Marketing from the University of Northern Iowa. View B.J. Van Der Linden's profile
Job Titles:
- Senior Vice President of Direct Store Delivery
Bret Wiltse currently holds the position of senior vice president of direct store delivery (DSD). Bret and his team support all Fareway locations with items not distributed through the Fareway warehouse. The DSD team is responsible for coordinating and developing product selection, promotional activities, as well as facilitating commination between retail locations, the Fareway corporate office, and all Fareway's valued vendor partners.
Bret started with Fareway in 1994 as a stock clerk/carryout and has worked in seven different Fareway retail locations, before joining the corporate office. He started in Storm Lake working for his father and then worked in Waterloo, while attending college. After college, Bret moved to Des Moines as a full-time employee, then was promoted to assistant manager at another Des Moines location. Over the next few years, he gained experience as assistant manager of the Burlington, Iowa and Cresco, Iowa locations. In 2011, Bret was promoted to manager in Orange City. Bret joined the corporate office as regional supervisor in 2014 and in 2018 he was promoted to lead the DSD team.
Bret earned a bachelor's degree in Business Administration from the University of Northern Iowa in Cedar Falls, Iowa. He currently serves as a member of the Fareway Board of Directors. Bret supports charities throughout Iowa and is regularly seen working with charities supported by Fareway's charitable giving efforts.
Bret is married to his childhood sweetheart, Mindy, and they have a daughter (14) and twin boys (11). Bret, Mindy, and their children reside in Johnston, IA. Bret and his family enjoy outdoor activities, including hunting, horseback riding, riding ATVs, and hot air ballooning.
Bret Wiltse Senior Vice President of Direct Store Delivery Serves on Fareway's Board of Directors. Married to his childhood sweetheart. View Bret Wiltse's profile
Caitlyn set out to become a dietitian because she had always loved health and wellness and creating in the kitchen; so becoming a dietitian seemed like the perfect blend! She has been with Fareway for ten years and her main duties include creating new recipes and tips to share with customers through lunch and learn presentations, social media, and various publications.
One of her favorite things to share with customers is not only how to eat a little healthier, but how to eat on a budget. She tries to find unique ways to utilize leftovers, use pantry staples, and reduce waste to help customers save money. Letting you in on a sneak peak of Caitlyn's kitchen, soup and pizza are almost always on her family's weekly menu at home! The reason these are weekly staples is because you can mix and match almost any ingredient to create a delicious soup or pizza in no time. Have extra veggies, throw it in the soup. Have leftover chicken? Make a BBQ Chicken Pizza.
Caitlyn loves working at Fareway because every day is something new. New customers to chat with, new foods to try, new recipes to create! She loves the Fareway family and said she feels so blessed to work with many amazing people and do what she loves.
Job Titles:
- Vice President of Benefits / Chair of the Retirement Plan and Vice - Chair of the Group Benefit Committees
Chad Carter Vice President of Benefits Chair of the retirement plan and vice-chair of the group benefit committees. Speaker at the national SHRM convention regarding student loan benefits. View Chad Carter's profile
Job Titles:
- Vice President of the East Region
Chad Hickcox Vice President of the East Region Began his career as a carryout in Webster City in 1991. Holds a degree in food marketing management. View Chad Hickcox's profile
Job Titles:
- Vice President of Produce Purchasing
Chris Boothe Vice President of Produce Purchasing Grocery industry career employee. Enjoys golf and spending time with friends and family. View Chris Boothe's profile
Job Titles:
- Vice President of Wholesale Purchasing
Clint Jenkins Vice President of Wholesale Purchasing More than 28 years in the food and grocery industry. Enjoys seeking out new items to sell at Fareway. View Clint Jenkins's profile
Cory loves sharing produce tips for customers so they can be knowledgable on what they're adding to their grocery carts and serving up for their families. Cory is currently the Assistant Manager in Sioux Center and has been with Fareway for over 15 years. Day to day, Cory helps with anything and everything that the store needs, from hiring the next generation, filling the shelves, to helping customers. He has worked at Storm Lake, Clarinda, Sheldon, and now currently, Sioux Center. Cory was also on the Retail Sales Team where he helped roughly 80 different Fareway locations.
What's Cory's dream meal? A perfectly cooked ribeye steak with homemade mashed potatoes and Iowa Corn on the cob. (It's a YUM from us)! Impressively, Cory has also been a Sergeant in the Army Reserves for over nine years.
Cory loves working for Fareway because he says it is a family first company that cares for their employees. "Fareway's flexibility is unmatched and it allows me to enjoy life with my friends and family. Being in the military, Fareway has always been understanding and supportive when I have military duties. It takes a lot of stress off of my plate knowing that they are supportive. Shelby and I are very blessed."
Did you know that another name for an avocado is an Alligator Pear? Look it up. Check out Cory's produce tips here!
Garrett Piklapp President Believes people should find connection and purpose. Serves on various state and federal boards and committees. View Garrett Piklapp's profile
Job Titles:
- Vice President of the North Region
Gary Worrall Vice President of the North Region Started at the Winterset Fareway store in 1975. Oversees retail locations and the development of employees. View Gary Worrall's profile
Jake Moran joined Fareway in April 2021 and serves as chief financial officer (CFO). Jake began his career as a CPA with Deloitte in the audit and assurance practice and served a wide array of clients during his 12-year tenure. Prior to Fareway, Jake served as the CFO of Gilcrest Jewett Lumber Company in Waukee, Iowa.
Jake holds a Master of Accountancy degree from Kansas State University. Jake and his wife, Wendy, are the proud parents of three children, Lumen, Josie, and William, and they call Grimes, Iowa home.
Jake Moran Chief Financial Officer Joined Fareway in 2021. Previously CFO of Gilcrest Jewett Lumber Company. View Jake Moran's profile
Job Titles:
- Senior Vice President of Retail Operations
Jeff Borrill serves as senior vice president of retail operations, where he works with Fareway's vice president, supervisor, and meat coordinator teams that serve more than 12,000 employees across all retail units in a seven-state Midwest region.
Jeff started his Fareway career in Clear Lake, Iowa in 1980 and transferred to the Morningside store in Sioux City, Iowa in 1982; which was Fareway's first metro store location. In 1986, Jeff was relocated to Oelwein, Iowa, helping transition to a new store footprint.
In the spring of 1989, Jeff was promoted to assistant manager at the Estherville, Iowa store. In 1993, Jeff transferred to Perry, Iowa, where he and his family resided for five years.
In 1998, Jeff was promoted to manager at the Mason City store for more than three years. In February of 2002, Jeff was named a corporate supervisor in Boone, Iowa. In 2012, he was promoted to vice president and in 2015, senior vice president.
Jeff was married to Sandra Jean Koehler from 1981-2011. Sandra had a long battle with breast cancer and earned her heavenly wings in August of 2011. Prior to her death, Jeff and Sandy have two daughters Amanda (Justin) Kabrick and Brittany (Lucas) Peterson, both of Ames. In 2013, Jeff was remarried to Angela (Leavengood), and they live in Ames, Iowa. Angie has two children, Ashley Reader (Jon) of Sun Prairie, Wisconsin, and Kaleb Wills (Kelsey) of Ankeny, Iowa. Jeff and Angie are blessed with six grandchildren and many pets.
Jeff and Angie are also members of Hope Church and support many local charities and events.
Jeff Borrill Senior Vice President of Retail Operations Worked in more than six Fareway store locations. Joined Fareway in 1980. View Jeff Borrill's profile
Job Titles:
- Vice President of Retail Market Operations
Jeff and his wife, Kristin, are proud parents of two daughters, Kylie and Kaitlyn.
Job Titles:
- Treasurer
- Vice President of Finance
Jeff Dighton Vice President of Finance and Treasurer Worked in the downtown Ames, Iowa, Fareway market while in college. Enjoys running and crossfit. View Jeff Dighton's profile
Job Titles:
- Senior Vice President of Marketing and Advertising
Graduated from the University of Northern Iowa in 1990 with a degree in marketing.
As a local meat expert, Jeremy is new to the Cart-to-Kitchen team! Sharing his expertise on how to shop the meat counter, his favorite recipes, and top secret tips, he is excited to share his knowledge with customers. Jeremy has been with Fareway for over 20 years and has worked in 8 store locations. Do you recognize him from Iowa City, Marion, Cherokee, Rochester, Oelwein, Ames Meat Market, North Ames, or his current store, Huxley?
With his wife working full time and four kids (one teen plus three being under the age of 7), Jeremy can relate to the convenience shoppers in our stores and loves thinking outside of the box when giving customers recommendations at the meat counter. His all-time favorite food is ice cream, but if we're talking meat counter items, his go-to is a ribeye steak!
Jeremy loves working at Fareway because of the culture and how everyone treats him like family. Welcome to the Cart-to-Kitchen Expert Team! Explore more meat expert tip from Jeremy here!
Job Titles:
- Vice President of the South Region
Jim Giardino Vice President of the South Region Worked at the first Fareway store with computers in Washington, Iowa. Enjoys boating with his family at Lake of the Ozarks. View Jim Giardino's profile
Job Titles:
- Vice President of ECommerce Operations
John Cramer Vice President of eCommerce Operations Assisted in launching Fareway's e-Commerce program. Worked at more than five Fareway locations. View John Cramer's profile
Job Titles:
- Vice President of Engineering
Matt Sherwood Vice President of Engineering Huge Cyclone fan and tries to attend every football and basketball game. Worked for Fareway as an engineering consultant or directly as an employee for more than 30 years. View Matt Sherwood's profile
Job Titles:
- Executive Vice President of Human Resources, Non - Retail Operations
Mike Mazour Executive Vice President of Human Resources, Non-Retail Operations Joined Fareway in 1997. Enjoys spending time with his family, traveling, and golfing. View Mike Mazour's profile
Mike McCormick Chief Retail Officer Joined Fareway in 1991. Board member for the Better Business Bureau of Iowa. View Mike McCormick's profile
Job Titles:
- Senior Vice President of Information Technology
Nathan Kerns Senior Vice President of Information Technology Holds an MBA and MMCM Serves on several volunteer boards. View Nathan Kerns's profile
Job Titles:
- Vice President of Facilities and Projects
Pat Goldsmith Vice President of Facilities and Projects Worked for Fortune and Global 500 companies prior to joining Fareway. Currently serves on the board for Mainstream Living, a non-profit organization providing services for individuals with intellectual disabilities and mental illness. View Pat Goldsmith's profile
Reynolds Cramer Chief Executive Officer Joined Fareway in 1985. Serves on Fareway's Board of Directors and the Iowa Business Council. View Reynolds Cramer's profile
Job Titles:
- Vice President of Training and Development
Job Titles:
- Vice President of Banking, Payments, and Investments
Owns and operates a pair of independent pharmacies in Boone, Iowa.
Job Titles:
- Vice President of Risk Management and Loss
Steve Kieffer Vice President of Risk Management and Loss Serves on the Iowa Occupational Safety and Health Advisory Council. More than 30 years of experience working in Risk Management and Food Production. View Steve Kieffer's profile
Job Titles:
- Vice President of Human Resources
Theresa McLaughlin Vice President of Human Resources Holds an MBA, PHR, and a SHRM-CP. Has more than 15 years of experience in Human Resources. View Theresa McLaughlin's profile
Job Titles:
- Vice President of the West Region
Tom Laven Vice President of the West Region Enjoys helping people through Variety and the Muscular Dystrophy Association. Loves taking an annual fishing trip to Canada with his boys. View Tom Laven's profile
Job Titles:
- Vice President of Warehouse and Trucking
Wesley Bass Vice President of Warehouse and Trucking Oversees trucking across Fareway's seven-state region. More than 26 years of logistical experience. View Wesley Bass's profile
Whitney began her journey towards becoming a dietitian because she grew up helping and hanging out in the kitchen. After high school she learned that cooking, health and all things kitchen-y could come together as a career. Whitney has been a Registered Dietitian with Fareway for 12 years now and her main responsibilities include recipe development, magazine content, and weekly news segments across the state of Iowa.
Whitney's favorite part about working for Fareway is the family focus, especially now that she has two young kids. Her favorite thing to teach customers is educating them about new products - are they worth the hype? What do you do with them? Whitney's favorite food is movie theater style popcorn and will always be the one to suggest tacos for dinner!