Haggen's Jim Donald to Speak at WWU's Bellingham Business Forum Nov. 17

Jim Donald, president and CEO of Haggen, Inc., a Bellingham-based grocery chain with 32 stores throughout the Pacific Northwest, will be the keynote speaker at the 10th Annual Western Washington University Bellingham Business Forum on Wednesday, Nov. 17.

Doors will open at 11:30 a.m. at the Hotel Bellwether ballroom, with lunch service beginning at noon; the keynote address will begin at 12:45 p.m.

Before joining Haggen in 2009, Donald worked at Starbucks Coffee Co. as president, North America, working closely with retired CEO Orin Smith and Chairman Howard Schultz. He was responsible for the overall management, business development, and operations of Starbucks in all its North American markets. During this period, the company experienced record financial performance, attributable largely to its success in North America.

In October 2004, Donald was promoted to president and served as CEO from 2005-2008. As CEO, he was responsible for all Starbucks business operations, supply chain and general administrative functions. Donald also joined the Starbucks board of directors at this time.

At Starbucks, Donald’s influence helped the company enjoy exponential growth and performance as customers continued to embrace the Starbucks Experience. He continued the Starbucks commitment to corporate social responsibility with efforts to develop ethical sourcing practices for coffee and cocoa, fund water projects in developing countries, and reduce the company’s environmental footprint.

From October 1996 to October 2002, Jim served as chairman, president and CEO of Pathmark Stores, Inc., a $4.6 billion regional supermarket chain located in New York, New Jersey and Pennsylvania. Prior to that time, he held a variety of senior management positions with Albertson’s, Safeway, and Wal-Mart, where he was handpicked by Sam Walton to build a major presence in the supermarket business. Donald was a key executive in Wal-Mart’s development and expansion of the Wal-Mart Super Center, supervising all merchandising, distribution, store design, and real estate operations.

Donald graduated with a bachelor’s degree in Business Administration from Century University in Albuquerque, New Mexico. He serves as a board member of the Rite Aid Corp., one of the leading drugstore chains in the U.S. with more than 4,900 stores in 31 states.

Table sponsorships are available at the $500 Mt. Constitution, $750 Mt. Challenger, $1,000 Mt. Shuksan, and $2,000 Mt. Baker levels. The Mt. Baker sponsorship establishes a named scholarship for a Whatcom County student attending Western next fall. Reservations can be made online or by calling (360) 650-6825.

All proceeds from the event support student scholarships. For more information about scholarship support, call (360) 650-3612.

Tables at the forum are rounds of 10, and all sponsorship levels include a served lunch. Sponsors fill nine seats and WWU fills the 10th seat with a university representative. Individual tickets are available for $50 each.

The Bellingham Business Forum is an annual opportunity for business and civic leaders to connect with friends of the university and to enjoy an address by a prominent professional.