Food City recently named Joe Greene executive vice president of operations for their Knoxville Division. Having dedicated his career to the grocery industry, Greene brings over 45 years of retail experience to this key role. He replaces Katie Penny, who was recently promoted to corporate executive vice president of store operations.

“We’re excited to have Joe leading our Knoxville Division team. His dedication to customer service, extensive experience in the grocery industry, and long history with our company make him an exceptional fit for this role. As a Knoxville native and former District Manager in the area, he already has strong ties to the community and our team. We would like to congratulate Joe on his new role,” said Steven C. Smith, Food City chief executive officer and president.

Greene began his career as a courtesy clerk for Giant Food Markets in 1979 and held several positions with the company, including stock clerk and grocery manager. The company was acquired by a regional grocery chain in 1984 and Greene quickly worked his way through the ranks, serving as grocery manager, assistant store manager, store manager, district manager, and regional human resources manager.

Greene joined the Food City team in 2004, serving as senior human resource specialist for the company’s Knoxville Division. He was promoted to district manager in 2016, responsible for the oversight of 13 supermarket locations within their Knoxville Division. In 2023, Greene was promoted to his most recent role as vice president of produce and floral operations. In his new role as executive vice president of operations for Food City’s Knoxville Division, Greene will be responsible for the oversite of Food City’s Knoxville Division operations, which currently includes 51 retail locations.

“I’m honored to return to the Knoxville Division, an area that shaped both my life and my career. Having spent most of my supermarket career in this community and region, this opportunity feels deeply personal. I’m grateful for the trust placed in me and excited to build on the strong foundation already in place, supporting our associates and serving the customers who have always been at the heart of everything we do,” said Joe Greene, Food City executive vice president of store operations, Knoxville Division.

Greene is an active member of the community, having served as chairman and treasurer of Tennessee Grocer’s Education Foundation Board of Trustees, past chairman of TGCSA’s East Tennessee Golf Committee, and as a committee member for American Cancer Society’s Relay for Life. He has also been actively involved with Breakthrough T1D (formerly known as Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation) and serves on the First Impressions Ministry of OneLife Church. Greene was inducted into the Tennessee Grocer’s Hall of Eagles in 2018 and was recently named TGCSA’s Retailer of the Year.

Greene is a 1982 graduate of Central High School in Knoxville, TN. He furthered his studies through retail continuing education programs, Cornell University leadership programs, and NGA’s Executive Leadership Development Program at Cornell University. He currently resides in Knoxville, TN with his wife, Terri. They are the proud parents of two children, Ryan and Makayla and the grandparents of three grandchildren, Rylan, Reed, and Rook.

Headquartered in Abingdon, Virginia, K-VA-T Food Stores (Food City’s parent company) operates 163 retail outlets throughout southeast Kentucky, southwest Virginia, east Tennessee, north Georgia, and Alabama.