Food City’s John Jones named ‘Retailer of the Year’ for 2020
JOHN JONES
Each year, TGCSA selects one outstanding Tennessee retailer who exemplifies the high standards of integrity and efficiency upon which the organization was founded to be named Retailer of the Year.
TGCSA is a Nashville-based trade organization representing the interests of the Tennessee food market.
Jones will receive his award in May at TGCSA’s annual convention in Nashville.
“I am honored to have been chosen as TGCSA Retailer of the Year,” he said. “It is a very humbling experience to be counted among the ranks of such a great assembly of industry leaders. I would like to thank Tennessee Grocers & Convenience Store Association for the great work they do and the tremendous impact they have upon our industry.”
Jones joined the Food City team in 1980, accepting a position as a courtesy clerk in Johnson City while attending Hampton High School.
Throughout his career, Jones has served in a number of key positions, including store manager of the company’s Newport and Euclid Avenue (Bristol, Virginia) locations; and district manager, overseeing store operations for locations throughout Sullivan County, and Scott, Lee and Wise counties in Virginia.
In 2003, he was promoted to executive vice president of store operations for Food City’s Knoxville-based division; and in 2014, he was promoted to his current position.
Jones is responsible for guiding store operations for the company’s entire chain of 132 supermarkets.
He is also active within his community, having served on the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation board of directors, Tennessee Grocers & Convenience Store Association executive committee, TGCSA Annual Convention chair, past chairman for the TGCSA board of directors, University of Tennessee Retail Hospitality Board, Kingsport Chamber of Commerce board of directors, and the 2014 Medal of Honor Convention executive committee.
He is a 1981 graduate of Hampton High School. Jones also attended Northeast State Community College and East Tennessee State University.
He currently resides in Blountville with his wife, Jennifer.
They are the parents of Tyler, who is currently employed as a Food City pharmacist, and Brianna, a graduate of the University of Tennessee in Chattanooga and a senior at Lincoln Memorial University-DeBusk College of Osteopathic Medicine.