ONTARIO, CA - Heritage Grocers Group, one of the nation’s leading Hispanic food retailers, through its charitable arms the Cardenas Markets Foundation, Tony’s Charitable Foundation, and Manos y Corazones Unidos is proud to launch its Pumpkins for a Purpose campaign, running from now through October 31, 2025. This heartfelt initiative is designed to raise vital funds for children and families receiving care at local children’s hospitals across the communities we serve.

“At the heart of everything we do is a deep commitment to our communities,” said Adam Salgado, President & Executive Director, HGG Foundation, in the recent release. “Pumpkins for a Purpose is more than a campaign. It is a celebration of compassion, generosity, and the power of coming together to support children and families during some of their most challenging times.”

Customers shopping at participating store locations will have two meaningful ways to contribute:

Round-Up Donations

At checkout, customers are invited to round up their purchase totals to the nearest dollar.

Scannable Pumpkin Cards

Customers may also choose to purchase a Pumpkin with a Purpose by donating $1, $3, or $5 at checkout.

Proceeds from these efforts will benefit:

• Loma Linda University Children’s Hospital (Southern California)
• Lucile Packard Children’s Hospital Stanford (Northern California)
• University Medical Center (UMC) Foundation (Las Vegas)
• Phoenix Children’s Hospital (Phoenix)
• Children’s Medical Center Dallas – Children’s Health (Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex)
• Children’s Cancer and Hematology Center (Houston)
• IWS Family Health (Chicago)

KEASBEY, NJ - Wakefern Food Corp., the largest retailer-owned cooperative in the United States, is pleased to announce the appointment of Travis Riepenhoff as Group Vice President, Fresh.

Riepenhoff succeeds Mark Van Buskirk, who now leads Wakefern’s Center Store divisions as Group Vice President.

As GVP for Fresh divisions, Riepenhoff will oversee Wakefern’s fresh food divisions, including Food Service, Bakery, Meat, Seafood, Produce, and Floral. In this role, he will be responsible for maintaining the cooperative’s high standards for quality and innovation while driving growth across fresh food categories in stores.

“Travis’s deep industry experience and passion for fresh foods make him the ideal leader to guide our fresh divisions,” said Darren Caudill, Wakefern’s Chief Sales Officer, in the recent release. “His leadership will help us continue to deliver the exceptional quality and variety our customers expect while supporting our retail members in growing these key categories.”

With over 23 years of experience in the supermarket industry, Riepenhoff brings deep expertise in retail operations and merchandising across all fresh departments. He most recently served as Vice President of Fresh Merchandising at Giant Eagle, where he developed high-impact merchandising programs, led assortment optimization, and worked to elevate product quality across the chain. Prior to that, he was Senior Director of Meat and Seafood at Kroger, managing a team of 120 associates across 2,742 stores. Recognized for his strategic vision, operational excellence, and commitment to innovation, Riepenhoff has consistently driven growth and strengthened supplier partnerships across Produce, Floral, Meat, Seafood, Deli, Bakery, and Prepared Foods.

He holds a bachelor’s degree in business management from Shawnee State University and completed Leadership Education and Development at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

In his new role, Mark Van Buskirk succeeds Paul Patten as Wakefern’s Group Vice President of Center Store. Patten is retiring after a distinguished 43-year career with the cooperative.

GRAND FORKS, ND - Ten Acre Marketing is excited to share that Brock Nemecek has joined the agency as its new Vice President of Client Services. Nemecek brings a hands-on leadership approach and more than two decades in agribusiness, advertising, media, and experiential marketing that will help drive Ten Acre’s vision to amplify the power of agriculture. With a knack for inspiring high-performing teams and leading client success through trusted partnerships, Nemecek strengthens the deep relationships that Ten Acre has built with its clients.

As Vice President, Nemecek will oversee client satisfaction, retention and organic growth. He will also lead the development of Ten Acre’s passionate and insightful account management team. As part of the agency’s leadership, Nemecek will help guide Ten Acre’s continued growth and influence across all sectors of agriculture.

“Brock’s deep agency experience, proven leadership and passion for agriculture will strengthen every layer of how we interact with our clients,” said Leah Halverson, Founder and CEO of Ten Acre Marketing, in the recent release. “His ability to empower teams and connect strategy with execution ensures our clients receive not only exceptional work, but insights and value that advance agriculture.”

“I’ve always been proud of the network of trusted relationships I’ve built across the ag space,” said Nemecek. “As I looked to take the next step in my career, what drew me to Ten Acre was their reputation and their sense of purpose. They believe that ag brands have amazing stories and deserve equally impactful storytelling. That mission resonates with me, and I believe it will resonate with marketers and decision-makers seeking a partner with strategic solutions to their challenges.”

This new executive role strengthens client relationships and enables other members of the leadership team to lean into their areas of expertise. Mary Heslep will move into the role of Senior Vice President of Strategy & Business Development, leading the agency’s overall growth. Terri Spencer has been promoted to Senior Vice President of Operations & Creative, aligning Ten Acre’s creative excellence with the operational support needed for expansion.

“Our growth has been exciting, and we’ve seen a demand for meaningful work in this industry,” added Halverson. “I’m confident that with our leadership team’s experience and the growth of our account and creative teams, we’ll continue positioning brands to advance agriculture.”