Jonathan Mayes, Featured Speaker at Annual Meeting

Jonathan Mayes is Senior Vice President of External Affairs and Chief Diversity Officer for Albertsons Companies. Albertsons is one of America’s largest grocery and pharmacy chains. It operates over 2,300 stores, under 20 different banners, in 35 states and D.C. The company employs 270,000 individuals.

Mr. Mayes received a Bachelor of Science Degree in Social Science from Warner Pacific College, in Portland, Oregon. He received a Juris Doctorate degree from Willamette University College of Law, in Salem, Oregon, where he served as Vice‐Chairman of the Moot Court Board and was inducted into the Order of the Barristers for his exemplary advocacy skills. He is a member of the Phi Beta Kappa Society.

Mr. Mayes began his legal career at Donahue, Gallagher, Thomas & Woods, before becoming Senior Counsel at Lucky Stores in 1991 and Senior Counsel at Safeway Inc. in 1994. In 1996, Mr. Mayes was named Safeway’s Director of Government Relations. He was later promoted to Vice President, and Group Vice President of Government Relations, before being named Senior Vice President of Public Affairs, Government Relations, Sustainability & Philanthropy in 2010. He continued in that role when Safeway merged with Albertsons in 2015. In March 2017, he was named to his current position where he oversees Government Relations, Sustainability, and Philanthropy, and serves as Chief Diversity Officer.

Mr. Mayes has received the Martin Luther King Jr. Service Award from Willamette University, and been honored by the Bay Area Minority Bar Coalition and the Charles Houston Bar Association for his exemplary service to the legal community. He also has been honored as Warner Pacific College’s Alumnus of the Year and is a Certified Diversity & Inclusion Professional.

Mr. Mayes is an accomplished speaker and frequent lecturer at conferences around the U.S., and at colleges such as UC Berkeley Haas School of Business; USC Marshall School of Business, Portland State University, Cal State Hayward, and Willamette University.

Mr. Mayes serves on the boards of the California Chamber of Commerce, California Retailers Association, California Grocers Association, Bay Area Council, Faith Network, and Bay Farm Community Church, where he also has served as Music Director for over 26 years. He formerly served as Chairman of the Board of the California Grocers Association; President and Chairman of the Board of the Charles Houston Bar Association; Vice Chairman of the Board of Warner Pacific College; and Chairman of the Food Marketing Institute Government Relations Committee. He also has served as a Committee Chairman or board member in other professional organizations.

Mr. Mayes is a professional musician, arranger, and band leader. He plays piano, guitar, bass, violin and is a vocalist. He also is an accomplished athlete, having participated in Ironman triathlons, ultramarathons, and over 70 marathons. His other hobbies include reading, travel, road cycling, golf and chess.

He has been married for over 35 years to his best friend and wife, Varetta Mayes, a former management consultant. They reside in San Francisco, California.