Funeral services are scheduled for Monday in Fairfax, Va. for Cathy Polley, the Food Marketing Institute’s VP of health and wellness and executive director of the FMI Foundation, who died Nov. 2 at age 56.
Polley was nationally known as a passionate leader in improving the health and wellness of everyday Americans. She was appointed by former Michigan Gov. John Engler to serve on the Michigan Board of Pharmacy, and held many key positions in the field of health and wellness, including director of pharmacy for K‐Mart Corp., VP of the National Association of Chain Drug Stores, chief policy officer and SVP for the American Pharmacists Association, and most recently, FMI’s VP of health and wellness and executive director of the FMI Foundation. Polley also served on First Lady Michelle Obama’s Let’s Move initiative.
Throughout her career, she was a strong advocate for improving the quality of food in supermarkets and schools, and the availability of health care in America. She received many awards, including being recognized as a Woman of Influence in the Food Industry 2013, and one of America’s Disruptive Women to Watch in 2014. These awards honor leaders who make a substantial impact on the health care industry through innovation, policy, and leadership.
After being diagnosed with ovarian cancer in 2010, Polley focused her attention on helping others with the same disease. She served on the board of directors for the Ovarian Cancer National Alliance, and has been heavily involved in spreading awareness and accelerating fundraising to improve research and treatment for ovarian cancer patients.
She is survived by her husband William; children Kara and Owen; and sister Janet (Lloyd) Hansen.
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