It’s been said that storms draw things out in people that calm weather doesn’t. That sentiment was especially true in the wake of Hurricane Helene, which wreaked devastation in many parts of the country in fall 2024, including western North Carolina.

In the wake of that storm, Heath sprang into action as manager of a Harris Teeter store in Asheville, N.C. When floodwaters caused local power outages and a loss of potable water, he led a store that was one of, if not the only, supermarket to remain open after the devastating weather event.

Working up to 12 hours a day, Heath made sure that associates and customers were safe and able to receive essential food, water and supplies, including hot meals from the store’s pizza station. He partnered with outside vendors to bring in important products and six truckloads of water. He also played a crucial role in relief efforts, working with the health department to share how the Harris Teeter location could serve as an important community resource. In addition to serving his people, he took care of associates from another nearby location that flooded and closed.

While he demonstrated true leadership in a time of crisis, Heath deftly tackles other challenges on a regular basis. For example, his store is located in an area that is home to many multi-generational families and is also a tourist attraction due to its proximity to the Blue Ridge Mountains. His laser-like focus on customer service ensures that the needs of all customers at various points in time are met and that the store's operations are scaled accordingly.

Heath leverages a range of skills to both plan for and react to a variety of situations impacting his store and team members. One of his favorite sayings is, “Walk with your eyes, not with your feet,” and that customer-centric approach to grocery retailing has helped the store continue to grow sales and gain shopper loyalty. For example, although the store is limited in square footage, Heath takes advantage of all of the space to optimize sales. Also, by walking with a customer’s POV, he identifies needs and gaps that others may overlook.

He keeps the associate perspective in mind, too, and bridges shoppers and employees through effective communication at the store level. One can regularly find Heath on the sales floor working with his team and, in turn, learning from them to help improve the overall store management.

His outstanding efforts in both calm and emergency circumstances have not gone unnoticed. Heath, who worked his way up to management from his first job as a bagger, has received distinguished store direct recognition multiple times from Harris Teeter.