initiatives, but their leadership skills and attention to member priorities have allowed them to maintain the association’s momentum while readying the next phases of FEDA’s strategic work.
For Mueller, the early focus has been
on FEDA’s Future of Distribution Council and the Emerging Distributors Council. The groups and the FDC subcommittees are working to build tools, materials, and standards that will strengthen distributor operations and enable more seamless data sharing across the end-to-end supply chain. Managing these councils and developing the strategic resources needed to drive meaningful industry- wide change is a complex responsibility, but Mueller’s background in education and manufacturing has been the perfect complement to their mission. She began her career working in point-of-purchase and retail display manufacturing, an industry that familiarized her with managing enterprise resource planning (ERP) systems, creating standards for accurate warehouse data, and working with less-than-truckload (LTL) carriers to roll out new products. Each of those experiences
corresponds directly to one of the core areas being examined by the FDC, but Mueller’s experiences as an educator are proving equally essential to helping FEDA members absorb the information. At previous organizations she directed education efforts, oversaw multi-day conferences, and developed certification programs that promoted best practices and industry standards. Beyond her work with the FDC and EDC, Mueller is tapping into those skills as she collaborates with FEDA conference speakers to develop their sessions. Having earned an undergraduate
degree in business administration from Valparaiso University, Mueller can relate to many of the concepts and challenges FEDA members encounter in the field. That understanding will only grow as she progresses toward a master’s degree in instructional design
and learning technology. The degree is heavily focused on adult learning and understanding how people learn effectively in professional environments. “For me, those two areas complement each other well and reinforce the importance of creating learning experiences that are both practical and engaging,” Mueller said. That combination is already being put to FEDA’s benefit. Working with presenter Will Quinn, known within the logistics industry as The Distribution Guy, Mueller developed and debuted the association’s second educational webinar series for 2026, which is focused on building critical skills for front-line distribution leaders (Editor’s note: See page 55).
Just as she’s helping move FEDA’s councils and educational offerings forward, Mueller is also overseeing the launch of the association’s Dealer Growth Accelerator Mentoring Program (DGAM), an executive leadership development initiative that connects emerging distribution leaders with experienced industry executives for meaningful peer-to-peer learning, practical business insight, and long- term professional relationship-building. Through these structured conversations, FEDA is ensuring that the operational knowledge, industry perspective, and practical experience built across decades of distribution leadership continue to be intentionally carried forward to the next generation of industry leaders. The project has been in development since 2025, but Mueller’s prior experience in designing a speaker mentorship program for young professionals has helped turn DGAM from a framework into a fully fleshed-out model that a founding cohort of mentors and mentees are ready to use. “I really like being able to support our members,” Mueller said. “Being able to help others is something I’ve always liked about teaching. It’s gratifying to enrich the minds of others and help them toward their goals.”
Ashley Mueller Q&A
What is a cool or interesting fact about you?
I spent several years living in South Korea and Costa Rica, where I taught English as a Second Language to children in school settings and to adults in business environments. I have always loved traveling and experiencing new cultures, which originally inspired me to move abroad. My time overseas gave me a broader perspective on communication, education, and relationship-building, while also pushing me outside of my comfort zone in ways that helped me grow both personally and professionally.
What do you find interesting about business education? Business education is practical and constantly evolving. It connects strategy, communication, operations, and problem-solving in ways that directly impact organizations and people. I also enjoy that effective business learning is about helping people apply ideas in meaningful ways that improve decision-making and performance.
What is something surprising you’ve learned in your new role at FEDA?
I have been fascinated by how collaborative and interconnected the foodservice industry is. Manufacturers and distributors are willing to work together, share operational challenges, and contribute ideas that can help improve the industry as a whole. Seeing competitors collaborate to solve broader supply chain and operational issues has been both interesting and inspiring.
Summer 2026 51
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