Jerry Garland Elected to FMI Board

ARLINGTON, VA — May 5, 2009 — Food Marketing Institute (FMI) announced today the election of Jerry L. Garland, president and CEO of Associated Wholesale Grocers, Inc, (AWG) to the FMI Board of Directors.

     Garland served as senior vice president and division manager for two of AWG’s grocery distribution facilities and as executive vice president of merchandising before assuming his current position. Prior to joining AWG, he worked for The Kroger Company for 24 years.

AWG is a retailer-owned cooperative serving more than 1,700 retail member stores with a complete assortment of grocery, fresh meat, fresh produce, specialty foods, health care and general merchandise items. Through an extensive distribution network and eight distribution centers, AWG and its subsidiaries deliver to more than 2,300 retail outlets in 24 states.

Garland serves on the boards of the National Grocers Association, the Independent Grocers Alliance and UMB Bank, N.A. He received a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of North Texas.

About FMI

As the food industry association, FMI works with and on behalf of the entire industry to advance a safer, healthier and more efficient consumer food supply chain. FMI brings together a wide range of members across the value chain — from retailers that sell to consumers, to producers that supply food and other products, as well as the wide variety of companies providing critical services — to amplify the collective work of the industry. www.FMI.org