REI promotes 25-veteran

REI has promoted Rachel Ligtenberg to VP of retail following a 25-year tenure with the company.



In her new role, she adds retail operations to her current responsibilities of leading store design, visual merchandising and the co-op's flagship strategy.



Ligtenberg will continue to enhance REI's retail experience through new store design concepts to showcase its products, services and educational programs.



Ligtenberg joined REI after college as a sales associate in the Sacramento (California) store. She served as the general manager of the Seattle flagship store for seven years before becoming director of visual merchandising and later regional VP of retail.



REI operates 141 stores in 33 states, including four flagship locations in Seattle, Denver, New York and Bloomington, Minnesota. It will open a fifth flagship, in the Uline Arena in Washington, D.C., in fall 2016.