Keith Shoemaker has been appointed as president of The Kroger Co.’s Dallas division, taking over the business unit after the death of Adam Wampler last month.
Kroger said Tuesday that Shoemaker, previously vice president of operations for the Dallas Division, starts in the role effective immediately. He will report to Valerie Jabbar, who is slated to become senior vice president of retail divisions on Aug. 7.
Based in Coppell, Texas, the Kroger Dallas division has more than 15,000 employees and operates 109 retail food stores.
Shoemaker (left) has been with The Kroger Co. for more than 44 years, the Cincinnati-based company said. He served in various leadership posts — including as perishable coordinator, deli/bakery buyer, store manager, district manager and regional director of operations — before being promoted to vice president of operations for the Fry’s division in 2012. Shoemaker was elevated to vice president of merchandising for the division in 2015 and then joined the Dallas division in 2017 as vice president of merchandising. He was named as the division’s vice president of operations in 2018.
“Keith is a highly regarded leader across the grocery retail industry and will bring a wealth of knowledge and experience having served in various positions in the Dallas/Fort Worth market for 39 years,” Jabbar said in a statement. “We are confident Keith’s infectious dedication to the company’s promise to be friendly and caring and uplift every way is a true extension of Adam’s legacy that the division team will continue to benefit from under his leadership.”
Wampler passed away on June 30 at age 48. He had served as president of Kroger’s Dallas division since March 2020. Coming over from Bartell Drugs, Wampler joined The Kroger Co. in September 2019 as vice president of merchandising for the Fred Meyer division in Portland, Ore. His career also included serving as senior vice president of operations at Albertsons Cos. and more than 27 years at Safeway, most recently as senior vice president of operations.
