Kroger Chairman and CEO David Dillon Honored as 'Kansan of the Year' by Kansas Society of Washington D.C.

HUTCHINSON, Kan., April 22 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Kroger Chairman and Chief Executive Officer David B. Dillon is being honored today by the Kansas Society of Washington, D.C. as "Kansan of the Year" for the role he and The Kroger Co. play in supporting communities where its customers and associates live and work.

"Dave's leadership in corporate citizenship has followed him throughout his career, benefiting not just Kansas communities but neighborhoods across the country where Kroger's family of stores touch lives every day," said Jon Hixson, President of The Kansas Society.

Mr. Hixson said honoring Mr. Dillon this year is particularly well-deserved as it comes nearly a year after a tornado devastated Greensburg, Kansas. Dillon Stores and Kwik Shop, both owned by Kroger and both based in Hutchinson, partnered with the community to rebuild. Together, the two companies reopened a combination Dillons grocery store and Kwik Shop, enabling residents to meet their daily shopping needs. The store sells food and other items traditionally found in a Dillons grocery store and offers many of the conveniences of a Kwik Shop, including a gas station. Expansion plans call for the store to more than double in size by the end of this year.

In addition, Dillons and Kwik Shop partnered with customers, local media outlets, the Red Cross and the Salvation Army to raise over $500,000 to support Greensburg families as the community rebuilds.

"I am honored to accept this award on behalf of our teams at Dillons and Kwik Shop. They worked hard to come up with the right solution when the Greensburg community needed help the most and they are the reason our customers choose us for their daily shopping needs," Mr. Dillon said. "Our roots in Kansas run deep. We appreciate our customers and associates throughout this great state and thank them for their support as we move forward together."

Mr. Dillon's great-grandfather, J.S. Dillon, founded what would later become Dillons grocery stores. Today, Dillon Stores operates 97 stores in Kansas, Missouri, and Nebraska and employs over 12,000 associates. Kwik Shop operates 131 convenience stores in Kansas, Nebraska and Iowa.

Mr. Dillon, who was born and raised in Hutchinson, has served in a variety of leadership roles during his career and was named CEO of Kroger in 2003. He is a past chair of both Leadership Hutchinson and Leadership Kansas. Currently, he is a member of the Board of Directors of the Convergys Corp. and is the chairman of the Board of Trustees for the Urban League of Greater Cincinnati. He also serves on the Board of Trustees for the University of Kansas Endowment, the Board of Bethesda, Inc. and the Board of Catalyst. He is a graduate of the University of Kansas and also holds a law degree from Southern Methodist University.

Kroger, one of the nation's largest retail grocery chains, is honored to celebrate its 125th anniversary in 2008. The Company's more than 310,000 associates serve customers in 2,486 supermarkets and multi-department stores in 31 states under two dozen local banners including Kroger, Ralphs, Fred Meyer, Food 4 Less, Fry's, King Soopers, Smith's, Dillons, QFC and City Market. Kroger associates also serve customers in 782 convenience stores, 394 fine jewelry stores and 696 supermarket fuel centers the Company operates. In addition, the Company operates 42 food processing plants in the U.S. Headquartered in Cincinnati, Ohio, Kroger focuses its charitable efforts on supporting hunger relief, health and wellness initiatives, and local schools and grassroots organizations in the communities it serves. For more information about the Company, please visit our web site at http://www.kroger.com/ .