FORT LEE, Va., 2015-4-30 — /EPR Retail News/ — After three and a half years as director of the Defense Commissary Agency’s East Area, Herb Winchester Jr. is returning to the Gulf Coast area May 3 to take the reins of DeCA’s Zone 1, a zone he managed in 2005 when Hurricane Katrina wreaked devastation.
“Herb’s done a great job leading DeCA’s top area in terms of sales, and he’s perfectly suited to fill our zone manager vacancy thanks not only to the depth and breadth of his commissary experience, but to his personal knowledge of a zone he guided through good times and incredibly challenging times,” said Keith Hagenbuch, executive director of DeCA’s Store Operations Group. The Zone 1 manager position has been vacant since February when Michael Mertz retired. A new East Area director selection hasn’t been made.
Winchester was Zone 1 manager from 2002 to 2007, and received DeCA’s Blackwell Leadership Award for 2005 as the result of his actions leading the recovery of commissary operations from the devastation of Hurricane Katrina. As Zone 1 manager, Winchester oversees the operations and business processes of 10 commissaries in Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama with combined annual sales of $211 million.
His expertise and knowledge of commissary operations and management have served the agency well as his career progressed through successive leadership positions in the United States and overseas. Key assignments include: deputy director, Performance and Policy, DeCA Headquarters; director, Leadership Development, DeCA Headquarters; deputy region director, DeCA Europe; zone manager, DeCA East Delta Gulf Zone; chief, DeCA Europe Product Support Division; and zone manager, DeCA Europe Zone 32, Germany.
Winchester has nearly 25 years’ experience in commissary operations, having begun his DeCA career in 1991 while still on active duty in the U.S. Army. He retired from military service in 1996 and started his civilian career in DeCA as deputy commissary officer of the Heidelberg Commissary, Germany.
Note: For more information about Herb Winchester, please access his bio.
About DeCA: The Defense Commissary Agency operates a worldwide chain of commissaries providing groceries to military personnel, retirees and their families in a safe and secure shopping environment. Authorized patrons purchase items at cost plus a 5-percent surcharge, which covers the costs of building new commissaries and modernizing existing ones. Shoppers save an average of more than 30 percent on their purchases compared to commercial prices – savings amounting to thousands of dollars annually. A core military family support element, and a valued part of military pay and benefits, commissaries contribute to family readiness, enhance the quality of life for America’s military and their families, and help recruit and retain the best and brightest men and women to serve their country.
Media Contact:
Kevin L. Robinson
(804) 734-8000, Ext. 4-8773
kevin.robinson@deca.mil