President and CMO Ana Middleton Retires After 38 Years of Service

When Ana Middleton started working at the Ramstein Air Base Exchange in 1982 as a part-time cashier, the then-16-year-old military brat considered the job to be temporary.

Then-Senior Vice President of the Sales Directorate Ana Middleton joins Senior Vice President of Services and Food Trini Saucedo for a photo with the Fort Belvoir Exchange team in 2014. From left, General Manager Nildy Carrasco-Eiley, Saucedo, Middleton, Main Store Manager Ann Yi and Services Business Manager Veronica Reese.

It wasn’t long before she began to see the Exchange as not just a potential career, but a calling—one that would lead her to rise through the ranks and ultimately become the Exchange’s President and Chief Merchandising Officer.

“When you get to know the people who work at the Exchange, you can’t help but fall in love with our mission, because everybody leans in,” Middleton said. “It means something to everyone who’s here, so it becomes a part of us. It’s a shared ethos—you’re here to support the community, and the community is your family. That made it easy to stay.”

Now, after 38 years with the Exchange, Middleton is retiring, leaving behind a legacy of dedicated service and determination to enhance the Exchange’s ability to serve Warfighters, military families, retirees and Veterans.

“It’s been incredible to get an understanding of everything the Exchange is capable of,” she said. “I’ve never seen any organization where everyone from the leadership on down are so willing to selflessly give their time and commit themselves to the mission. That’s what we do—figuring out how we can do things instead of saying why we can’t.”

Born to an Air Force family at the now-closed Forbes Air Force Base in Kansas, Middleton quickly grew to appreciate the importance of supporting her military community, a passion she credits her parents with instilling in her from an early age.

“My parents were all in for the military,” she said. “My dad was a Chief Master Sergeant, and my mom was a chief’s wife, which meant she did lots of volunteer work and helped out the young, enlisted Airmen. My brother and I would volunteer for every event that my dad supported. From grilling at outdoor events to airshows, we had to do our part.”

Middleton, a second-generation American whose grandparents immigrated from Mexico, said a military upbringing also gave her the opportunity to appreciate the rich tapestry of cultures represented across the military community, an experience she said would set the stage for the rest of her life.

“I wear the military brat title with pride,” she said. “Diversity was always celebrated growing up—we would go to a friend’s house and have Turkish food, or they’d come over for Mexican food at our house. It was a wonderful childhood, because we not only got to partake in the culture we lived, but the cultures of our friends.”

This openness to new experiences and cultures was an asset when Middleton was tasked with setting up Exchange operations at the tip of the spear in Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates and Iraq between 2001 and 2003—experiences she ranks among the most impactful from her career.

“If people have not deployed, I have to say that is one thing that really solidifies the mission for you,” she said. “It becomes so clear when you’re stocking shelves or trudging toward a forward operating base and you have those kids thank you for being there for them when they’re at war. It boggles the mind that they would thank you when they’re the ones putting their lives on the line to protect our Nation.”

Middleton said that while the Exchange faces massive shifts in the ever-evolving retail industry, she is encouraged by the passion, commitment and creativity demonstrated by the young associates she sees just starting their Exchange careers. To Middleton, the Exchange’s future is bright indeed.

“What we do is special—never underestimate it,” she said. “Never think that the Exchange is just another retail business, because it’s not. We’re here for a reason. Growing up, I had Wonder Bread because of the Exchange. That was a wonderful thing to have as a military brat living overseas. It’s important that we remain passionate and continue to safeguard this benefit for the military communities we are so proud and fortunate to serve.”