OREANDA-NEWS. July 31, 2015. The Kroger Co. (NYSE: KR) today announced that Group Vice President for Corporate Affairs Lynn Marmer plans to retire in early 2016, after 18 years with the company.

"Lynn has always appreciated the power of our industry to connect with people's everyday lives. Her leadership has helped advance Kroger as a leader in community engagement – especially through our partnership with local food banks – and in sustainability, customer relations, and always connecting our external relations efforts to our Customer 1st business strategy," said Rodney McMullen, Kroger's chairman and CEO. "Lynn has been a trusted counselor and advisor to three CEOs during a period of significant change in food retail. We wish her and her family all the best in retirement."

Ms. Marmer joined Kroger in 1997 as a senior attorney in the legal department. When appointed to her current position in 1998, she became Kroger's first female corporate officer.

Ms. Marmer focuses on reputation management and leveraging and protecting Kroger's brand. She leads external communications and brand public relations; media; government and regulatory affairs; corporate social responsibility and environmental sustainability; community relations and customer service centers; crisis management; cause-marketing and corporate philanthropy. She also serves as President of The Kroger Foundation.

She is responsible for growing Kroger's supplier diversity program to \\$1 billion annually, creating a national program of fresh food rescue that donates 200 million meals annually to food banks across the U.S., and creating four award-winning cause marketing campaigns that contribute millions of dollars to Kroger's signature community programs. In 2011, Forbes magazine named Kroger the most generous company in America.

In addition to her industry leadership, Ms. Marmer has been deeply involved in nonprofit boards and civic problem-solving groups. She currently is a member of the boards of the Cincinnati Zoo, Interact for Health, CRBC (Cincinnati Regional Business Committee), the Cincinnati Business Committee Education Task Force, Leadership Scholars, Carpe Diem (charter school), the Finance Committee of the Center City Development Corporation (3CDC), and is Chair of the Port Authority of Greater Cincinnati.

She earned a B.S. in Education, Summa Cum Laude; M.A. in Urban Planning; and J.D. from the University of Cincinnati. She also completed The University of Cambridge (England) Programme for Sustainable Leadership.

Her replacement will be named at a later date.

Kroger, one of the world's largest retailers, employs nearly 400,000 associates who serve customers in 2,626 supermarkets and multi-department stores in 34 states and the District of Columbia under two dozen local banner names including Kroger, City Market, Dillons, Food 4 Less, Fred Meyer, Fry's, Harris Teeter, Jay C, King Soopers, QFC, Ralphs and Smith's. The company also operates 780 convenience stores, 327 fine jewelry stores, 1,342 supermarket fuel centers and 37 food processing plants in the U.S. Recognized by Forbes as the most generous company in America, Kroger supports hunger relief, breast cancer awareness, the military and their families, and more than 30,000 schools and community organizations. Kroger contributes food and funds equal to 200 million meals a year through more than 100 Feeding America food bank partners. A leader in supplier diversity, Kroger is a proud member of the Billion Dollar Roundtable and the U.S. Hispanic Chamber's Million Dollar Club.