By: Leslie Sarasin, President and CEO, FMI
During WWI, the “Great Humanitarian” Herbert Hoover demonstrated the immense power the food industry wields in uplifting those in need. Hoover’s Commission for Relief in Belgium fed more than 10,000 civilians in an active war zone for five years. This spirit of magnanimity and public service is highly reflective of Neal Berube’s lengthy and accomplished career, which is why he was chosen as the recipient of FMI’s 2022 Herbert Hoover Award For Humanitarian Service.
As the former CEO of Associated Food Stores (AFS), Neal understood that to be a member of the food industry is to take an active role in addressing community challenges and providing the resources necessary for families to thrive. He worked diligently to ensure that the needs of shoppers and associates were not only met but exceeded. His people-first approach to executive management is what helped AFS reach historic levels of profitability.
When Neal retired from AFS, his colleagues provided him with a composition of comments describing his impact on their team and the company. Neal said, “Not one member mentioned processes, policies, procedures or profitability. What they did mention were things I was blessed to do to help them in their personal lives or through struggles they were experiencing. This taught me a great lesson that I wish I had learned earlier, that lesson being that what you do for others is what really matters.”
Neal remains a public servant. He serves on the boards for Intermountain Healthcare and McKay Dee Hospital and as the mayor of North Ogden City, Utah, where he actively pursues positive, community-based solutions to local problems and strongly encourages informed civic engagement from all his constituents.
Neal is a shining example of the kind of service-minded professional who embodies the food industry. Nowhere is this virtuous ethos more evident than in the stories of FMI’s Community Uplift Awards nominees. The participants in the annual contest are food retail and supplier companies that invest their time, money and effort into bolstering community wellness. Their invaluable contributions range from running school supply drives and hunger relief campaigns to hosting nutrition education classes and job readiness programs. For the most exceptional programs of this year’s contest, please read the 2022 Community Uplift Awards winners’ profiles.
With the mission of nourishing the lives of its shoppers, the food industry is rife with opportunities to make a real, tangible difference in communities across the country and around the world. In quoting Helen Keller, Neal succinctly captured the collective power of the food industry in making positive change: “Alone we can do so little, together we can do so much.”
Check out Neal’s full acceptance speech from FMI’s 2022 Executive Leadership Awards luncheon by clicking the button below.
Neal Berube's Acceptance Speech
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