NGA Congratulates Executive Leadership Development Program Graduates

The National Grocers Association (NGA) congratulated 37 grocery executives on their completion of the 2017 Executive Leadership Development Program (ELDP).  The event was held June 4 – 8 at Cornell University, located in Ithaca, N.Y..

“In an evolving business such as the supermarket industry, new leaders and executives will face an array of challenges and opportunities very different than their predecessors encountered. The development of these leaders will become even more important, and leadership and training programs will be critical for the long-term success of the industry,” says Peter J. Larkin, president and CEO, NGA. “Thanks to the generous support of our sponsor, PepsiCo, NGA is working to provide those resources and opportunities for independent supermarket operators to invest in their future leaders through programs such as ELDP.”

ELDP helps independent supermarket operators and wholesalers develop leaders from within their organizations who can respond to business challenges in the 21st century marketplace. It is a high-impact learning opportunity for rising grocery executives that provides interactive instruction presented by a mix of respected academic and industry leaders.

“I found the ELDP program to be an invaluable experience in which I will take the lessons learned and apply them throughout my career,” says Brian Rutigliano, retail P.O.S. specialist, allegiance retail services. “The program helped me to understand the differences between management skills and leadership skills, and the one-on-one feedback session with Cornell faculty provided deeper insight into my strengths and weaknesses as a leader and a path forward to improve on my leadership skills.”

The 2017 ELDP graduates include:

Mark Bowen, Manufacturing Operations Manager, Brookshire Grocery Co.

Stewart Boyer, Retail Counselor, Merchants Distributors, LLC

Nathaniel Brusby, Store Manager, Kennie’s Market’s, Inc.

Reggie Carmon, Director of Food Service, Bakery/Deli Merchandising, Reasor’s, LLC

Lee Bowers, Sales Development Manager, Merchants Distributors, LLC

Derek Brison, Manager of Employment & Talent Management, Reasor’s, LLC

Sandra Cannillo, Advertising Manager, Wakefern Food Corp.

Layne Chastain, Director of Meat and Seafood, Harps Food Stores, Inc.

Rodney Cobb, Meat Director, Mitchell Grocery

Aidan Coleman, Director of Business Development, Coleman Group of Companies

Sean D. Hamady, Assistant Store Manager, Sissonville Piggly Wiggly

Guillermo Fernandez, Business and Finance Team Lead, Stop and Compare Market

Jim Fitterer, Director of Sales, Associated Wholesale Grocers

Eric Frigiano, Business/Financial Analyst, Wakefern Food Corp.

Joe Greene, District Manager, K-VA-T Food Stores, Inc.

Amber Hauber, Vice President of Customer Experience, Harmons Grocery

Drew Hembree, Director of Traditional Advertising, K-VA-T Food Stores, Inc.

Dennis Host, Vice President of Marketing, Coborn’s, Inc.

Heidi Huff, Director of Marketing, IGA USA

Jenny Jorge, Vice President of Operations, Jorgu Meat Corporation

Ray Lotierzo, Store Director, Ravitz Family Markets

Steve Oroszlany, Category Manager, Wakefern Food Corp.

Samer Rahman, Senior Director of Meat/Seafood Merchandizing, Allegiance Retail Services, LLC

Mohammad Rahman, Assistant Store Manager, ShopRite Supermarkets, Inc.

Mike Richter, Senior Director of Meat, Seafood, and Fresh, Coborn’s, Inc.

Mike Roberts, Produce Merchandiser, Harps Food Stores, Inc.

Clark Roper, Produce Buyer, Piggly Wiggly Alabama Distribution Co., Inc.

Brian Rutigliano, POS Specialist, Allegiance Retail Services, LLC

Carly Spross, Director of Marketing, The Fresh Grocer (ShopRite)

Laura Strange, Senior Director of Industry Relations, Communications, and Marketing, National Grocers Association

Marty Thompson, Director of Category Development, Coborn’s, Inc.

Peter Torchiano, Store Director, ShopRite Supermarkets, Inc.

Tom VonKessel, Director of Non-Perishables, Ravitz Family Markets

Alan Tait, Director of Business Development, Coleman Group of Companies

Daniel Koch, Vice President of Bakery/Deli, Associated Wholesale Grocers

Nicholas Arlan, Vice President, Arlan's Markets, Inc.

Elizabeth Crocker, Executive Director, NGA Research and Education Foundation