COLUMBUS, Ohio — Tom Jackson, president and chief executive officer of the Ohio Grocers Association here, said he plans to retire at the end of the year after 24 years with OGA "and go back to being a facilitator, a re-designer and an encourager for small businesses."
"There are a lot of really good small companies out there, and I want to help them reach their goals and get to the next level," he told SN.
Jackson, 65, has been in the grocery industry 54 years, starting by working in his father's store, La Verne Market, in Canton, Ohio, which he later he purchased in 1974. After the store burned down in 1976, Jackson spent six years as a consultant specializing in human relations and organizational training and development before joining the National Grocers Association as vice president, association relations and member services.
He took the job with OGA in 1987.