Ann-Marie Campbell

ATLANTA – The Home Depot has installed a 50-year-old native of Jamaica as its executive in charge of all U.S. stores, the Virgin Islands Free Press has learned.

Ann-Marie Campbell, who was born in Kingston, replaces veteran Marc Powers, another longtime employee who rose through the ranks with the company.

Campbell took over the reins of Home Depot’s stores on Feb. 1, the Georgia company told employees last week.

A Home Depot spokesman described Powers’ departure as “a mutual decision” but did not elaborate on the reason.

“It’s not surprising that Marc would be leaving after a long and successful career at Home Depot,” the spokesman, Stephen Holmes, said. He declined to say whether Powers, who started in 1986 as a salesman in a Home Depot store’s plumbing department, is taking early retirement.

Campbell has been president of the chain’s southern division, which includes about 690 stores in 15 states plus the Virgin Islandss and Puerto Rico.

The Georgia State University grad has a degree in philosophy and an MBA, started as a cashier at Home Depot in 1985.

Last year, Campbell said that she learned much of what she knows about business from her grandmother in Jamaica, who didn’t finish high school but turned a roadside business into a multimillion-dollar company.

“I learned a lot about commitment to family and commitment to winning. She had very high standards,” Campbell said.

In her new job Campbell will oversee about 2,000 stores and the bulk of the retailer’s nearly 400,000 employees.

Powers was named executive vice president of Home Depot’s U.S. stores in 2014 after the previous head of U.S. stores, Marvin Ellison, left to become J.C. Penney’s chief executive.

Current Home Depot Chairman and CEO Craig Menear also led U.S. stores, though with the title of president and expanded duties, before being promoted to the top corporate job in late 2014.

    The Home Depot store on St. Croix.

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