For the first time ever, a longtime Pine Ridge grocery store is naming a Lakota tribal member as store manager.
Buche Foods in Pine Ridge South Dakota is hiring Tameka Vocu as store manager. She has worked at the store 18 years.
RF Buche is the CEO of G.F. Buche Co. He said Vocu has earned the promotion over years of service.
“We always want to put the right person in the right seat to be successful. No matter what race, religion, male or female person that may be. However, I do think it is a monumental occasion to celebrate the fact that Tameka Vocu is not only the first tribal manager of that store, but she is the first female enrolled tribal member for that store,” said Buche.
“It is an honor to be the first female Native American to be managing the reservation’s biggest store," Vocu said. "This is the greatest opportunity I have ever received. I’m hoping that with our team and community support, we can only improve on where we are now.”
Busche said Vocu’s new duties include keeping monthly inventory, ensuring the store is clean and presentable, managing team members, and assisting customers.
He said his company has always desired to work alongside the tribal members with the best person being slotted for the job.
“Tameka’s position was just a natural, and that was very important to the tribe that an enrolled member would manage in that tribe and I told them that I was always going to put the best person in the position for that job. And that is exactly what we have done. Tameka has earned this. Its got nothing to do with her being an enrolled member, its that she has earned it and she deserves to be in this seat,” said Busche.
Vocu said she is excited to serve her community in her new role and encourages her staff to focus on teamwork.
