ShopRite Dietitian Cassandra Umile Named Retail Dietitian Of The Year

Keasbey, NJ – ShopRite Supermarkets today announced retail dietitian Cassandra Umile, R.D., L.D.N, manager of Nutrition Services and Food Production for The Kenny Family ShopRites of Delaware, was named Retail Dietitian of the Year by the Retail Dietitians Business Alliance (RDBA) at April’s RD Retail Exchange in Chicago. The award recognizes a retail dietitian who shows leadership in utilizing business skills and industry knowledge to positively impact consumer behavior through the retail sector.  

Umile is one of approximately 100 retail dietitians servicing over 140 ShopRite locations across the Northeast, and provides nutrition education across the Kenny family’s six Delaware-area ShopRite stores. Umile started as a retail dietitian at one Shoprite store in 2016 and was later named manager of Nutrition Services and Food Production for the Kenny Family ShopRites of Delaware. She also teaches the company’s food safety class that certifies employees as Certified Food Safety Managers and oversees quality assurance to make sure products and conditions meet company and FDA standards.

"It's a tremendous honor to win this award," says Umile. "I'm grateful to my ShopRite family for presenting me with the opportunities to make this award possible. I also owe a debt of thanks to the RDBA for their assistance in helping me learn about sales, marketing and data analysis, while creating opportunities to network with other dietitians. I look forward to continuing to grow and help others in the future.”

"We are proud to see Cassandra honored on a national stage for her tireless work to promote health and wellness in the stores and communities she serves,” says Natalie Menza-Crowe, RD, MS, Director of Health and Wellness at ShopRite. “Her drive and determination truly make a difference in the quality of life for our customers and community members, which is something we deeply value. We are extremely grateful to Cassandra for her efforts and applaud her for this outstanding achievement.”

In addition to the complimentary services she provides, Umile has implemented programs including The Healthy Food Marketing Strategies initiative that works in conjunction with the University of Pennsylvania and the University of Delaware. She also teamed with the University of Delaware to implement the Produce for Better Health Foundation’s Store Tour Grant that trains dietetic students on giving store tours. They in turn give store tours to customers to help improve their eating habits.

After winning a government-funded grant from the Food Insecurity and Nutrition Incentive (FINI), Umile launched the “Green Bucks Program” in her stores.  This funding from the grant provides Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) beneficiaries with $2 fresh fruit and vegetable vouchers for every $5 spent with SNAP benefits. More than 1,600 people participated in the Green Bucks program and those customers increased their produce purchase by 100 percent. Umile subsequently went to Capitol Hill with the National Grocers Association to lobby about the importance of the FINI program.

“We're delighted by Cassandra's many accomplishments, and congratulate her on winning this well-deserved award," says Melissa Kenny, owner and director of Sales and Marketing for the Kenny Family ShopRites of Delaware. “Her nutritional expertise and business acumen truly helps to elevate our health and wellness initiatives and inspires our customers on a daily basis. We're honored to have her on our team."

In addition to Umile, two other ShopRite retail dietitians were finalists for the award:

• ShopRite of Jersey City dietitian Lynette Hem-Lee was recognized for her ability to successfully meet a multi-cultural population’s dietary needs. Hem-Lee routinely runs health screenings with medical students and residents of Jersey City Medical/RWJ Barnabas Health. She also helped create a weekend farmers market for customers.

• ShopRite of Tallman dietitian Johna Mailolli was lauded for increasing the number of healthy snack options in her store. She runs a “Spooky Fruit” program around Halloween and every other month hosts an event that combines music and nutrition education.

Founded in 2012, RDBA is the professional group to the more than 1,000 retail registered dietitians throughout North America that most often work in supermarkets. In addition to online and in-person training at key events, RDBA offers opportunities through its newsletter, website, and special events for the community of retailers and dietitians to share information.

Established under the 2014 Farm Bill, the USDA’s FINI Grant is an overall effort to promote better health through the consumption of fruits and vegetables.

For more information about the award, visit: https://www.retaildietitians.com/articles/cassandra-umile-named-retail-dietitian-of-the-year

For more information about the grant, visit: https://nifa.usda.gov/program/food-insecurity-nutrition-incentive-fini-grant-program).

For more information, visit www.shoprite.com.

About ShopRite

ShopRite is the registered trademark of Wakefern Food Corp., a retailer-owned cooperative based in Keasbey, NJ, and the largest supermarket cooperative in the United States.  With more than 270 ShopRite supermarkets located throughout New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Connecticut, Delaware and Maryland, ShopRite serves more than six million customers each week.  A long-time supporter of key community efforts, ShopRite is dedicated to fighting hunger in the communities it serves.  Through its ShopRite Partners In Caring program, ShopRite has donated $40 million to 2,000 worthy charities and food banks since the program began in 1999.  As a title sponsor of the LPGA’s ShopRite Classic, ShopRite has raised more than $30 million for local organizations, hospitals and community groups.  For more information, please visit www.shoprite.com.

Source: ShopRite