Gerald L. Walden, Jr. is Group Vice President, General Counsel, and Corporate Secretary at The Fresh Market, Inc., where he oversees the Legal Department, major litigation, and all labor and employment matters for 11,000+ employees across 160+ stores in 22 states. He also supports the company’s diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives and their connection to business strategy. He joined the company in 2004 after serving in judicial clerkships at the North Carolina Court of Appeals. He earned a B.S. in mechanical engineering from NC A&T, a J.D. from NCCU School of Law, and an MBA from Elon University. Gerald holds leadership roles on multiple boards, including NC A&T, NCCU Law, Elon Law, and legal and business organizations.