Jesse A. Lewis, of Piney Flats, senior vice president and chief operations officer of K-VA-T Food Stores, Inc. (Food City), as well as president of Misty Mountain Spring Water Company, will be the speaker at the noon meeting of the Greeneville Exchange Club on Tuesday.

The club meets in the fellowship hall of Greeneville Cumberland Presbyterian Church.

Lewis has been described by a longtime food industry associate as "one of the last of the original 'ole grocers.'"

A native of Mississippi, he has been involved in the food industry since January 1958.

Since that time, he has served in a wide variety of positions from stock clerk to chairman of the board and chief executive officer.

He has served on the board of directors of four supermarket chains, as well as Parker Cutlery and the Case Knife Company.

He presently serves on the boards of Noble Communications in Springfield, Mo., and The American Eagle Foundation, as well as K-VA-T Food Stores, Inc.

Lewis has also served on the board of directors of Food Distributors International, where he headed up the government relations committee, as well as the Tennessee Grocers Association, the Alabama Grocers Association, and the Missouri Grocers Association.

He was named Tennessee Grocer of the Year in 2005.

He has also taken leadership roles in numerous civic and health-related organizations over the years.