Lynn Petrak is senior editor at Progressive Grocer Magazine and a 25-year veteran of the food retail business. She is well versed in all aspects of the industry and has contributed to brands including Snack Food & Wholesale Bakery, Meat & Poultry Magazine, Dairy Field, Farm To Plate, Refrigerated & Frozen Foods Retailer and Store Brands. Petrak held key communications roles with dairy and beef trade associations during her career. She taught journalism classes at Columbia College in Chicago and her work has been published in Parents Magazine, Chicago Magazine and the best-selling book, Chicken Soup for the Woman's Soul. She earned a journalism degree from Northern Illinois University, where she was named Outstanding Senior in Journalism in 1991. She divides her time between Holland, Michigan and the Chicago area.