Chuck Foughty, senior vp, director of store environment, design and construction, at JCPenney (Plano, Texas), died last month from complications during heart surgery. He was 56.
Foughty started with JCPenney in the Fort Dodge, Iowa, store in 1965. Over the next several years, he held a number of store positions of increasing responsibility throughout Iowa and Illinois.
In 1985, he moved to the New York office (then the company's headquarters), where he led the team that initiated and installed the company's direct broadcast system. In the early 90s, he was promoted to district manager in three districts in the Northeast, before rejoining the home office in Dallas in 1995. There, Foughty led the merchandising efforts in the women's division, ultimately becoming president of that division in 1999. He was appointed to his senior vice presidency in 2002.
It was during his tenure there, and with his leadership, that JCPenney began the successful move to off-mall stores. “Chuck's vision and uncanny ability to communicate complex strategies in support of the JCPenney brand image, in a simple way, to over 100,000 JCPenney associates will be his lasting legacy,” said Karen Meskey-Wilson, Penney’s vp, director of store design and merchandise standards, and a member of the VM+SD editorial advisory board. “He will truly be missed by all of us.”
Foughty is survived by his wife, JoAnn; two sons and three grandchildren.