Rachel Burse wants to see more minority- and women-owned grocery stores, like the market her father ran when she was growing up.
As the minority business development manager at Save-A-Lot, Burse develops strategies to help grow prospective minority owners and operators.
“Our commitment to diversity is reflective from the inside out,” Burse said, “from our associates who work daily to deliver our quality products to our customers, to the representation of our stores in more than 1,300 diverse communities across the country.”
Burse, a native of St. Louis city, said she first understood the importance of business and community from her father, who owned a local fresh fish market with his brother.
“This is where I learned how to conduct business and the importance of understanding the concept of building and maintaining relationships,” said Burse, who graduated from University City High School and from Columbia College in Columbia, Mo.
For almost 34 years, Burse has been with the organization in various manager positions and has been part of the foundation for its growth into a multi-billion-dollar, wholly owned subsidiary of Supervalu, Inc.
Growing up in a strong family household with her mother and father, she believes that commitment to family spilled over into her professional life.
“My mother, a nurse by trade, was a very nurturing person,” she said. “This skill taught me how to care for myself and for others.”
The lesson later became the foundation of her career in human resources, she said. As a leader at the company, she said promoting inclusion requires openness.
“Flexibility is an important factor when portraying the importance of diversity,” she said. “To understand lack of understanding or knowledge doesn’t always mean lack of desire or refusal of acceptance. Lack of knowledge could be seen as an opportunity to educate.”
Burse said a strong company sets the tone for acceptance, something she is proud to say of Save-A-Lot.
“It is more than a simple mantra, but part of the core fabric of our company,” she said. “From training initiatives and internal working groups to our Diversity Library and our inaugural Festival of Nations hosted on campus earlier this year, I believe Save-A-Lot is committed to educating us all about the value of diversity and inclusion.”
As a city, she said St. Louis has come a long way in regards to acknowledging the value of diversity in both private and public sectors. However, she believes there is work that still needs to be done to ensure our community and workforce remain stable and continues to grow, in order to compete with other communities throughout the country.
“The responsibility of advancing diversity lies within all of us,” she said. “It is a two-way street and we can all play a role by offering our time and resources to help strengthen the St. Louis community by working with community organizations.”
Burse said one organization that is currently looking for volunteers is Voices for Children, an advocacy nonprofit for abused and neglected children.
“By giving more than we expect, we remain humble and open to the possibility of understanding others without judgment,” she said.
