Tammy DeBoer, President of Harris Teeter, has more than 30 years of diverse retail experience including operations, merchandising, marketing, brand strategy, mergers and acquisitions. She leads the strategic growth and development of Harris Teeter, a division of Kroger.

Tammy joined Harris Teeter in 2020, leading Operations, Merchandising and Marketing across the company’s 257 stores in seven States and Washington D.C. Tammy also led Finance, Human Resources and Information Systems.

Before joining Harris Teeter, Tammy served as an executive with Family Dollar stores, a wholly owned subsidiary of Dollar Tree, Inc. where she was Executive Vice President and Chief Merchandising Officer. Prior to joining Family Dollar, she spent 19 years with Delhaize where she held various leadership roles and led the company through significant strategic growth and development.

Tammy has been recognized several times as “One of the Most Influential Women in Mass Market Retail” by MMR and by Supermarket News as a top “Executives to Watch.” Progressive Grocer named her a “Top Female Executive in the Supermarket Industry,” the Griffin Report listed her as a “Top Female Executive in the Grocery Industry,” and the Mecklenburg Times recognized her as one of the “50 Most Influential Women in Charlotte.”

Most recently, Frozen & Refrigerated Buyer recognized Tammy among their inaugural class of FoRWARD Award winners, and The Shelby Report of the Southeast named Tammy “Female Executive of the Year” in 2022. In 2023, Tammy was recognized as a “Top Woman in Grocery” by Progressive Grocer.

She has served on multiple boards including Charlotte Family Housing, Communities In Schools, Network of Executive Women and currently serves on the Board of Directors for International Fresh Produce Association and Carolinas Food Industry Council (CFIC). She also serves as an Advisory Board Member for Second Harvest Food Bank of Metrolina. Tammy holds a bachelor’s degree in Technology from Appalachian State University and completed the Supermarket Business Executive course with Cornell University.

The college’s Distinguished Lecture Series began in the Spring of 1988. In October 1991 the Series was dedicated to Treasurer Boyles in honor of his service to the State of North Carolina. An endowment fund was established at that time, with the assistance of U.S. Senator James T. Broyhill (1927 – 2023), to permanently endow the series in Boyles’ name.

Harlan E. Boyles (1929 – 2003) devoted his 49-year career to the citizens of the State of North Carolina. A native of Lincoln County, Boyles was elected to six four-year terms as State Treasurer and served under nine governors. His name was associated throughout the state and the nation with fiscal integrity, hard work and honesty.

Harlan Boyles was dedicated to education, and through his involvement with Appalachian State University and the Walker College of Business, he was able to share his experience, advice and wise counsel with hundreds of students and future business leaders. For eleven years, he came to campus to preside over the bi-annual Harlan E. Boyles Distinguished Lecture Series.

Not only did his association with the Walker College make a difference in many on-campus endeavors, but it also had a tremendous effect on the college’s fund-raising efforts. He was honored with three separate endowments in the college — for the lecture series, student scholarships, and faculty support. These endowments will provide an impact on the college for years to come.

Boyles lectures were held each semester through 2016, and beginning in 2017, the lecture became an annual event.