Sam began his career in 1977 with Publix as a front service clerk in Pembroke Pines, Florida. After working in various retail positions, Sam became a store manager in 1987. He was promoted to Lakeland Division district manager in 1994. In 2005, he became a Jacksonville Division regional director and was promoted  to his current role in 2016.

Where were you born?
Toms River, New Jersey

What did you want to be when you were little?
A vet, so I could help sick and injured animals

What do you enjoy most about your job?
Working with great associates every day who have passion for what they do

What is your favorite movie?
Indiana Jones and the Raiders of the Lost Ark

What music are you listening to right now?
Country — George Strait is one of my favorites.

What’s your work philosophy?
Giving 100 percent every day to Publix. As owners, it all comes back to us in the end!

What’s your favorite Publix memory?
Meeting Mr. George and spending time with him. He was truly an amazing man.

What’s your favorite holiday tradition?
Although my wife, Marcy, is not Italian, our family embraces the Italian tradition of seafood on Christmas Eve. Marcy always cooks like she’s feeding the neighborhood.

What do you enjoy most about working at Publix?
Helping Publix associates get to the next level!

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What brought you to Publix?
My best friend, Craig Berger, now a Store Manager at #528, Pembroke Pines, Florida, started with Publix when I was 15 years old, and I also wanted to work at Publix.

What hasn’t changed about Publix since you started?
I’ve worked in three divisions, and our culture has always been there! Our work ethic and commitment to doing the right thing — even though it might not be the popular thing — are always prevalent as we move forward as a company.

What has changed about Publix since you started?
Technology has advanced and continues to change at a rapid pace. When I first started at Publix, we manually placed price stickers on everything in the entire store, had printouts of our truck bills to verify and had manual time cards that were hand-calculated every week. Now, we have apps on our phones that let us know if we have an item in stock.

What are your favorite books?
I like anything from Harold Lloyd.

What is your favorite sports team?
I’ve always been a huge Miami Dolphins fan!

What’s your guilty pleasure?
Having a little too much Publix ice cream.

What are your hobbies?
I love camping and biking with my family.

What’s your favorite Publix product?
Publix Premium Moose Tracks ice cream.

What’s your proudest moment?
Being there when all three of my sons were born.