Brad Askeland, Vice President, Holiday Markets, has been elected Chairman of the California Grocers Association Educational Foundation Board of Trustees. Askeland had previously served as Foundation Vice Chair.
Askeland succeeds former CGAEF Chair Jim Van Gorkom, NuCal Foods, who served in that position since 2011. Mark Johnson, Unified Grocers, Inc., was elected to replace Askeland as the Board’s Vice Chair. Jacquie Slobom, Gelson’s Markets and Jerry Landers, Raley’s will continue as the Foundation’s secretary and treasurer, respectively.
“We look forward to Brad building on the programs Jim was instrumental in fostering,” said CGAEF President Ron Fong. “Brad has tremendous passion for the Foundation and will serve well as chair.”
Askeland’s responsibilities will be to guide and direct the CGAEF Board of Trustees. The Foundation was created in 1992 to advance California’s grocery industry through employee education, industry research and recognition of excellence.
The Foundation will celebrate its 25th year in 2017. During the past quarter-century the Foundation has awarded more than 3,200 scholarships totaling more than $4 million to deserving grocery industry employees and their dependents. In addition, the Foundation has reimbursed more than 13,000 individual courses for more than $1.3 million.
Askeland, who has served as a Trustee since 2009, began his grocery career in 1988 as a courtesy clerk for a small independent market before joining North State Grocery, Inc. in 1995. He managed several stores before being named director of human resources in 2003. Most recently, Askeland was promoted to vice president of Holiday Markets, a division of North State Grocery.