WEST DES MOINES, Iowa — Promoted to executive vice president and chief marketing officer in 2022, Anna Stoermer has made a distinct mark on Hy-Vee’s brand over the past year.

As record inflation has affected consumer spending, Stoermer has been integral in shaping Hy-Vee’s value story with the launch of several new in-store campaigns like Daily Deals and Everyday Low Price.

“We understand the challenges and pressures many households are feeling during this tumultuous time,” said Stoermer. “That’s why we are pulling out all the stops to share our value story and promote our low prices throughout the store.”

Stoermer’s most significant accomplishment was last July, when she pulled off the event of the summer with the 2022 Hy-Vee IndyCar Race Weekend that attracted more than 1.7 million viewers and drew more than 80,000 race fans to Iowa Speedway, located near the town of Newton, Iowa.

Under Stoermer’s leadership, an internal committee was formed to organize what would become a two-day, festival-like event that included a premier lineup of entertainers like Tim McGraw, Florida Georgia Line, Gwen Stefani and Blake Shelton. 

Anna Stoermer

“The goal of this race was twofold,” said Stoermer. “In addition to creating a national stage to promote the Hy-Vee brand, we also wanted to find a way to support and revive our hometown communities in central Iowa by attracting thousands of race fans from across the country.”

And it worked. That weekend, thousands of race fans descended upon Newton, pumping millions of dollars into the local economy, with 60% of initial ticket sales purchased by out-of-state fans. The event also received glowing reviews from national media outlets like Forbes, The Associated Press and Sports Illustrated, resulting in more than 3,000 stories published. 

“We wanted the weekend to be about more than just Hy-Vee,” Stoermer said. “That’s why we created an event that allowed us to showcase our supplier partners on a national level, as well as bring awareness to important causes within our community.”

The event drew some of the biggest sponsor names to IndyCar, including Google and DoorDash, and presented a promotional opportunity for food and beverage suppliers of all sizes.

Additionally, each day of the race promoted a specific cause. The Hy-VeeDeals.com 250, held July 23, was designated as Kids Day, bringing more than 1,000 kids from local youth programs to the race for free. University of Iowa Women’s Basketball star Caitlin Clark was also in attendance, and Stoermer and her team worked with supplier partners to send each child home with basic school supplies and nutritious snacks. 

The Hy-Vee Salute to Farmers 300 on July 24 paid tribute to local farmers and featured a display of antique tractors. Hy-Vee also invited 1,000 local farmers to attend the race for free. 

This year’s race weekend, taking place July 21 to July 23, is expected to be even bigger and will pay tribute to several of Hy-Vee’s philanthropic initiatives. The musical lineup is just as impressive, with Carrie Underwood, Kenny Chesney, Zac Brown Band and Ed Sheeran slated to take the stage.