Bruce Everette
Business alumnus advances through the grocery retail ranks.
Not many part-time jobs turn into lifelong careers, so Bruce Everette (B.S. '73/School of Business) counts himself lucky.
“I’ve been with the same company for 38 years,” says Everette, executive vice president of retail operations for Safeway Inc.
His career at Safeway began in 1968, when he worked as a part-time carryout clerk while attending high school in Colonial Heights, Va. After graduating from Virginia Commonwealth University with a bachelor’s in business administration, he became a manager trainee for the Pleasanton, Calif., grocer, and through the years has moved up the corporate ladder — and around the country.
“When I was living in Dinwiddie, Va., in 1984 I thought I would never leave there,” he says. “But one of the best things I did was move, and numerous times. I met new people, got extended family, and it has helped me build my career.”
Today, Everette and wife Lyn call Northern California home, though they also maintain a residence in Scottsdale, Ariz., near their daughters, Heather and Misty. Everette is an active member of the communities where he lives and works, and his leadership has been recognized by the Muscular Dystrophy Association and Easter Seals, two of the many organizations he supports. He’s also received numerous industry accolades, including being named this year’s Food Industry Executive by the University of Southern California.
Everette, one of Safeway’s top five executive officers, is now content to stay put. “As far as titles and career opportunities in Safeway, this is it,” he says. “My goal is to help our team be better today than we were yesterday.”
