SAN BERNARDINO, Calif. — Stater Bros. Markets, the largest privately owned supermarket chain in Southern California, has announced a series of leadership promotions that reflect both its deep bench of internal talent and the evolving priorities of the business under newly appointed chief executive officer and president Greg McNiff. The moves, effective September 29, come as McNiff formally assumes the company’s top post after serving as president and chief operating officer.
“Over the last several years, Rebecca and Bertha have cultivated a collaborative relationship that has benefited Stater Bros. immensely,” said McNiff. “I look forward to working with them to build upon that collaborative spirit so that our company can continue providing fresh, affordable groceries and class-leading customer service for our communities.”
Calvin Takes on Supply Chain Oversight
Rebecca Calvin has been promoted to Executive Vice President and Chief Marketing Officer. In addition to her current marketing responsibilities, Calvin will now oversee the company’s supply chain, reflecting the importance of aligning merchandising, marketing, and logistics as the grocer navigates a highly competitive retail environment.
Calvin joined Stater Bros. in 2022 as senior vice president and chief marketing officer, following senior roles across the grocery sector. She previously served as senior vice president and chief merchandising officer at The Save Mart Companies, and earlier as vice president of grocery, frozen and dairy at Mariano’s. She began her career with Daymon Worldwide as a category buyer, which provided her with early exposure to private-label development and merchandising strategy.
A graduate of the University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh with a Bachelor of Science degree in biology and a minor in business administration, Calvin has also completed Cornell University’s Food Executive Program and holds a Six Sigma Green Belt Certification. Beyond Stater Bros., she is actively involved in industry leadership, serving as vice president on the Western Association of Food Chains’ board of directors and as co-chair of the Topco Operations Team.
Luna Expands Role in Store Operations
Bertha Luna has been promoted to Executive Vice President of Store Operations. In her expanded role, she will oversee all areas of retail store operations and assume accountability for workforce planning, which includes labor budgeting, sales forecasting and store insights.
Luna’s career reflects more than two decades of leadership across retail and human resources. She began her career in the grocery industry as a courtesy clerk at Lucky Stores and joined Stater Bros. in 1999 as a store manager, following the company’s acquisition of Albertsons and Lucky locations. Within a year, she transitioned into retail supervision, serving first as a retail grocery supervisor and later as a retail district manager. Luna also gained human resources experience as director of diversity before returning to the retail department in 2017 as a district manager. She was subsequently promoted to Senior Director of Retail Operations and, in 2022, became Senior Vice President of Retail Operations.
Luna holds a Bachelor of Science in human resource management from Western Governors University and is a graduate of the University of Southern California Food Industry Executive Program. She currently serves as secretary on the California Grocers Association board of directors executive committee and is a board member for Retail Marketing Services.
Three New Vice Presidents Named
Alongside the executive promotions of Calvin and Luna, Stater Bros. has also elevated three long-serving teammates to vice president roles.
Mike Crawford has been named Vice President of Strategic Insights and Process Innovation. Reporting to Calvin, Crawford will be responsible for deriving data-driven consumer insights that power sales and grow customer count.
Crawford joined Stater Bros. in 2000 as a courtesy clerk and moved into the marketing department in 2012 as a category manager. He advanced through several data and analytics roles, including data manager, procurement manager, and director of merchandising/data, before being promoted to director of analytics in 2022. He subsequently held senior roles in data analytics, insights, shrinkage and process improvement. Crawford has a Master of Business Administration with a specialization in organizational leadership from National University, a Bachelor of Science in Business Management from the University of Phoenix and is certified as a Lean Six Sigma Green Belt professional.
Alex Lemos has been promoted to Vice President of Accounting. Reporting to senior vice president and chief financial officer Mike Reed, Lemos will lead all aspects of the company’s accounting functions, including financial reporting, accounts payable, accounts receivable and cash reporting.
Lemos began his career at Stater Bros. in 2014 as assistant controller of support operations. He was promoted to Controller of Corporate Operations in 2018, Corporate Controller in 2021, and Senior Controller in 2023. He holds a Master of Business Administration with a focus on finance from the University of Redlands and a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration with an accounting concentration from California State University, San Bernardino.
Sonia Muñoz has been promoted to Vice President of Employee Relations. Reporting to the Senior Vice President of Human Resources, Jerrold Coakley, Muñoz will oversee both bargaining and non-bargaining groups, enabling leaders to maintain a high-performing workforce. She will also lead major initiatives and projects focused on teammate engagement and productivity.
Muñoz began her career at Stater Bros. in 1994 as a courtesy clerk. After progressing through several store-level roles, she moved into human resources in 2016 as an assistant. She was promoted to Human Resources Supervisor in 2014 and Labor Relations Specialist in 2017, advancing to Manager of Labor Relations in 2018 and Director in 2019. Muñoz became senior director of employee relations in 2020. She holds a Master of Business Administration from California State University, San Bernardino, and a Bachelor of Science degree in Organizational Management from the University of La Verne. She has also completed the University of Southern California’s Food Industry Management Program and earned a certificate in Food Industry Management.
Commitment to Talent and Growth
“As we work toward operating ever more efficiently, these well-deserved promotions are a testament to the talented teammates within Stater Bros. who are ready to assume expanded roles and responsibilities,” said McNiff. “I am proud of their accomplishments and the example of teamwork that they are setting for our organization every day.”
With more than 170 stores and 18,000 employees across Southern California, Stater Bros. is positioning its leadership team to drive growth while sustaining its reputation for quality, value and service in a highly competitive grocery market.
