‘Top Women in Grocery’: Two commissary leaders recognized among best, brightest female managers in the North American retail food industry

FORT LEE, Va. – Meralie Ervin, store director at Marine Corps Base Quantico and Melquiadeth Supinger, assistant store director at Spangdahlem Air Base, Germany, have been chosen by Progressive Grocer as “Top Women in Grocery” for 2020.

Since 2007, Progressive Grocer has recognized the best and brightest female leaders in the North American retail food industry. This year, the Defense Commissary Agency’s Ervin and Supinger are two of 350 selected from over 800 nominees. The winners demonstrate extraordinary achievement in leading innovative corporate initiatives, executing financial and/or strategic objectives, achieving exceptional performance benchmarks, problem-solving acumen and community outreach.

Honorees are recognized in one of three categories – Executive Level, Rising Stars and Store Managers. Ervin and Supinger are among only 61 winners chosen in the Store Manager category.

“I want to extend my congratulations to Meralie and Melquiadeth. It’s quite a prestigious honor for them and for DeCA,” said William Moore, DeCA’s director and CEO. “It shows their hard work and achievements are noticed, appreciated and valued by their peers in the grocery business.”

Ervin began her commissary career in 1994 as a sales store checker for the commissary at Worms, Germany. Her career is highlighted by a series of progressively responsible assignments in eight different commissaries, half of them in Germany. She earned the store director position at Quantico in February 2018, after serving three years as store administrator, the second in-charge, of the Fort Belvoir Commissary, Virginia.

Beginning a second job as a bagger at Ramstein Air Force Base in 2010, Supinger quickly decided on a career with DeCA accepting a store worker position at Ramstein and eventually moving to a teller position.

In 2011, she was promoted to an assistant customer service manager at Vogelweh in Germany and then joined the Management Intern Program assigned to Marine Corps Air Station Miramar Commissary in San Diego, California. After completing the intern program, she became store manager at Kelley Barracks in Stuttgart, Germany, and then on to her current assignment as deputy store director at the Spangdahlem Commissary, Germany.

DeCA’s winners are recognized in the June print issue of Progressive Grocer magazine, as well as on progressivegrocer.com. The magazine will further honor the winners in November at a celebration to be held in Orlando, Florida.

“Both women are mission-driven leaders who embody the leadership qualities that will move the Defense Commissary Agency forward – by effectively engaging with their communities, increasing operational efficiencies and mentoring future DeCA leaders,” said Moore.

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About DeCA: The Defense Commissary Agency operates a worldwide chain of commissaries providing groceries to military personnel, retirees and their families in a safe and secure shopping environment. Commissaries provide a military benefit, saving authorized patrons thousands of dollars annually on their purchases compared to similar products at commercial retailers. The discounted prices include a 5-percent surcharge, which covers the costs of building new commissaries and modernizing existing ones. A core military family support element, and a valued part of military pay and benefits, commissaries contribute to family readiness, enhance the quality of life for America’s military and their families, and help recruit and retain the best and brightest men and women to serve their country.