(302) 319-4665

thekennyfamilyfoundation@gmail.com

Staff & Board

Board Members

DSC_7656-430x430

Melissa Kenny

President of the Board

Melissa Kenny, the Executive Vice President of the Kenny Family ShopRites, has direct oversight of Operations, Finance, Human Resources, Marketing, Loss Prevention, and is Vice President of Real Estate for the family franchise.

Read More
bernie-peg-430x430

Bernard F. Kenny

Vice-President of the Board

Bernard Kenny’s (Bernie) name is recognized locally as the patriarch who brought ShopRites to Delaware in 1995, but is renowned statewide for his unwavering loyalty serving the community.

Read More
Bill-B-cropped

William J. Bacheler, CPA

Treasurer of the Board

William J. Bacheler is a Certified Public Accountant and has worked exclusively in the public accounting field his entire career. Bill is the managing partner of the accounting firm Bacheler & Company, a regional firm serving clients in the Delaware, New Jersey and Pennsylvania Tri-state area.

Read More
IMG_1632-430x430

John J. Leonard, Esquire

Assistant Secretary of the Board

Mr. Leonard’s practice includes the representation of businesses and individuals for transactions, contracts, business break-ups, estates, litigation, planning, and counseling. He has extensive experience with closely held businesses, serious personal injury cases, professional licensing, and attorney disciplinary and ethics matters.

Read More
jim

Jim P. Leonard

Board Member

Jim Leonard retired from ShopRite in 2017, after ten years of dedicated service as the Human Resources Director.

Prior to obtaining his law degree, Jim served as the sales and marketing director at the Philadelphia Inquirer and Daily News and has also taught in the Philadelphia schools. Jim was an infantry officer with combat service in Vietnam in the 1960s.

Read More
RichardKenny-430x430

Richard T. Kenny

Board Member

Richard Kenny has over 50 years of experience in the grocery business. During his tenure, he has held the positions of Co-Owner and Chief Financial Officer, Chairman, and is presently the Director of Government Relations for the Kenny Family ShopRites of Delaware.

Read More
richard mestro temp photo for board

Rich Mestro

Board Member

Rich Mestro is the Chief Operations Officer at Kenny Family ShopRites. He honed his leadership and communication skills while serving in the United States Marine Corp. Rich knows that a successful leader must always have his finger on the pulse of his team members and the community in which he provides service.

Read More

Staff Members

Heather hook headshot

Heather Hook

Executive Director

Heather Hook began working with the Kenny Family through community events in 2010 and became the Executive Director of The Kenny Family Foundation in 2012. Prior to the Kenny Family Foundation Heather worked in Training and Operations in organizations targeting Human Resources and Sales Development.

Read More
ebay for charity

Get Started

Contact Us

Twitter Facebook-f Instagram Youtube

Melissa Kenny

Melissa Kenny, the Executive Vice President of the Kenny Family ShopRites, has direct oversight of Operations, Finance, Human Resources, Marketing, Loss Prevention, and is Vice President of Real Estate for the family franchise.

With more than 20 years of experience, Melissa has worked closely over the years with her brother Chris and father Bernie Kenny as she learned every part of the supermarket business. Melissa is passionate about environmental stewardship and is a founding board member of Keep Delaware Beautiful.

Melissa directs Delaware Gourmet Catering, which partners with St. Anthony’s City Fare Meals on Wheels program to prepare and deliver high-quality meals to thousands of low-income residents 365 days a year. She also serves on several other non-profit community boards.

Melissa lives with her husband Mark Maguire and their two rescue dogs, Gemma and Ringo.

Bernard F. Kenny

Bernard Kenny’s (Bernie) name is recognized locally as the patriarch who brought ShopRites to Delaware in 1995, but is renowned statewide for his unwavering loyalty serving the community.

Bernie’s belief is when you find your passion and work brings you joy, you will succeed. Bernie has over 70 years in the grocery business, starting as a young man stocking shelves. His commitment to excellence propelled him to the level Senior VP of Pathmark before taking ownership of the Stanton ShopRite in Delaware. Bernie served the United States with the Screaming Eagles for the 101st Airborne Division. Inspired by knowledge, he took every opportunity to study and expand his education, mastering programs at Cornell and Harvard. Bernie passed the store franchise management to his children in 2012, but he continues to follow his passion for food, family and his community.

Always offering a hand up in lieu of a hand-out, Bernie believes in supporting the community with true collaborative partnerships. He founded the Kenny Family Foundation in 2008, which partners and provides support to organizations in New Castle County, reaching thousands of people in Delaware’s underserved community. Bernie and his wife Peg have fostered over 120 high-risk infants for 47 years, and four of those children joined the Kenny family permanently. The family aligns with Delaware Department of Social Services providing mentor support and guidance which inspire families to foster and impact a child’s future. Bernie implemented employment readiness and training programs to create individual income generating opportunities and reduce recidivism, leading by example providing hundreds of retail job positions for graduates within his own company.

Bernie has been recognized by the Wakefern Corporation for his leadership, Kind to Kids for his support for foster children, 21st Century for his philanthropy, and The Delaware National Guard for his devotion to our military. He is a devout Catholic and is a vibrant member of the St. Mary of the Assumption congregation.

Bernie and his wife Peg live in Hockessin, Delaware. He divides his time enjoying his 14 grandchildren and 6 great-grandchildren or you will likely see him in his leisure time at one of the six Kenny Family ShopRite stores, continuing to cultivate and inspire associates and managers to be community leaders.

William J. Bacheler, CPA

Bill is a Certified Public Accountant and has been in public accounting his entire career. Bill is the managing partner of the accounting firm Bacheler & Company, a regional firm serving clients in Delaware, New Jersey and Pennsylvania.

Bill is licensed as a Certified Public Accountant in the State of New Jersey, the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and the State of New York. Bill has a degree in accounting from Villanova University.


For more information please visit www.bachelerco.com/

John J. Leonard, Esquire

Mr. Leonard’s practice includes the representation of businesses and individuals for transactions, contracts, business break-ups, estates, litigation, planning, and counseling. He has extensive experience with closely held businesses, serious personal injury cases, professional licensing, and attorney disciplinary and ethics matters. Mr. Leonard has served as a mediator, arbitrator and expert witness. He is engaged in various civic, political and non-profit matters. In 2010, Mr. Leonard was named to the Board of the Kenny Family Foundation.

To learn more about Leonard and his firm please visit www.leonardsciolla.com

Jim P. Leonard

Jim Leonard retired from ShopRite in 2017, after ten years of dedicated service as the Human Resources Director.

Prior to obtaining his law degree, Jim served as the sales and marketing director at the Philadelphia Inquirer and Daily News and has also taught in the Philadelphia schools. Jim was an infantry officer with combat service in Vietnam in the 1960s.

Jim has been married for over 50 years to Rosalie M. Leonard, nee Campagna, and they have three sons. Jim enjoys reading, music, exercising, and spending time with his friends and family. He greatly enjoys serving as a member of the Kenny Family Foundation and the opportunity the Foundation affords him to join in assisting so many Delawareans in need.

Richard T. Kenny

Richard Kenny has over 50 years of experience in the grocery business. During his tenure, he has held the positions of Co-Owner and Chief Financial Officer, Chairman, and is presently the Director of Government Relations for the Kenny Family ShopRites of Delaware.

Mr. Kenny is also the Chairman of the Delaware Food Industry Council, and serves on the boards of the Delaware Retail Council and the Kenny Family Foundation. He received his MBA at Rutgers University.

Rich Mestro

Rich Mestro is the Chief Operations Officer at Kenny Family ShopRites. He honed his leadership and communication skills while serving in the United States Marine Corp. Rich knows that a successful leader must always have his finger on the pulse of his team members and the community in which he provides service.

Rich’s career has always been in the supermarket industry, and he rose swiftly through the ranks from his start as a bagger and clerk to managing and operating stores. He left Pathmark to lead the Kenny Family ShopRites in 1995. Rich understands the needs of both his workers and his customers and strives to provide both with support and assistance they require in dealing with problems which influence their lives outside of his Supermarkets. His experience and skill-set is ideally suited to assessing and guiding the Kenny Family Foundation as it develops and implements programs which will meet the needs of the communities served by the Foundation.

Rich serves as a Produce Committee member for Wakefern Food Corporation. Other professional memberships include the National Grocers Association, Food Marketing Institute and is a Board member for The Better Business Bureau.

In his leisure time, Rich enjoys golf, spending time with his family and being at the beach.

Heather Hook

Heather Hook began working with the Kenny Family through community events in 2010 and became the Executive Director of The Kenny Family Foundation in 2012. Prior to the Kenny Family Foundation Heather worked in Training and Operations in organizations targeting Human Resources and Sales Development.

Heather is active in all community efforts, particularly in the City of Wilmington where she resides.   Her passion is people and she constantly works to network organizations who can help grow Delaware into a better place.   She served on the Board of the Cool Spring Tilton Neighborhood Association for four years, two of them as President and currently sits on the Board of the Steering Committee for West Side Grows. As the Foundation’s focus is Active Support in New Castle County, Heather is committed to work hands-on with other non-profits and organizations, as well as programs that support training, health and financial literacy to youth and those with barriers to employment.

Heather graduated from the Tatnall School, attended Rollins College and holds a Bachelor of Science in Human Resources and Interdisciplinary Studies from the University of Delaware.   Heather is a fixture working at fundraisers and grassroots events, and usually can be found with her dog Harry.