Kroger names new spokesperson

Kroger Co. on Monday said it has named Kristal Howard as head of corporate communications and media relations.

Howard will be responsible for national media and corporate communications and will serve as the company's spokeswoman.

"Kristal is a consummate PR pro who understands the intersection of food, media, our customers and other stakeholders," said Keith Dailey, Kroger's senior director of external affairs. "We are excited she has accepted this new role to help elevate Kroger's unique story." 

Howard has been serving as public relations manager for Kroger's Dallas and Houston divisions since 2010. She has been recognized as one of the nation's "Top 30 under 30" PR professionals by PR News in 2013, included in Progressive Grocer magazine's Top Women in Grocery, and was recently named one of 10 "Black Women to Know in PR, Tech & Digital Media" in Ebony magazine. She is a graduate of the University of Houston.

In other news, Kroger also announced that Colleen Lindholz will be adding the title of president of pharmacy to her portfolio. Lindholz has been president of The Little Clinic since 2015. Lindholz is taking over for Philecia Avery, who resigned earlier this month.

"By bringing together these two closely-related teams, pharmacy and The Little Clinic will share common areas of expertise, support and learn from each other, and develop centers of excellence in our health and wellness organization. This will allow for greater collaboration and give us the flexibility to meet the needs of our customers and associates today and in the future," said Robert Clark, Kroger's senior vice president of merchandising, in a statement.