PFMA Honors McCorkle, Marks 65 Years of Advocacy

The Pennsylvania Food Merchants Association (PFMA) celebrated 65 years of service and its longtime President and CEO David McCorkle during its annual conference earlier this month at the Omni Bedford Springs Resort in Bedford, Pa.

Five former PFMA chairmen reviewed the association’s six decades of accomplishments and saluted McCorkle’s work over the past 35 years during a dinner celebration. Former chairmen and chairwomen Christy Spoa of Ellwood City Save-A-Lot, Scott Hartman of Rutter’s, Louie Sheetz of Sheetz Inc., Dan McNabb of Baldwin-Whitehall Food Stores and Paul Rankin of Country Fair Inc., as well as current PFMA Chairman Jeff Brown of Brown’s Super Stores, all shared accomplishments and recognized important legislation that the association and its members helped implement, such as adult beverage sales, a uniform food code, tougher organized retail crime penalties and efforts to prevent waste and promote recycling.

Former Pennsylvania governor and the nation’s first secretary of the Department of Homeland Security Tom Ridge provided a video message recognizing the association’s work and McCorkle’s contribution to the industry. Hartman announced that beginning in 2019, one of PFMA’s Thomas R. and Laura Ridge Scholarships will be designated as the David and Kathryn McCorkle Scholarship on behalf of the couple’s contributions to Pennsylvania’s food industry.

Related:Five PA Grocery, C-Store Leaders Earn PFMA Advocacy Awards

 McCorkle, who currently serves as president emeritus, praised the association and its members.

“What you have in this room is really very special in the country and we’re going to have to work doubly hard in the next decade to make sure the successes we’ve enjoyed to date continue in the future,” said McCorkle. “It’s a changing industry. It’s a changing consumer and your jobs are changing.”

In addition to the celebratory dinner, PFMA’s annual event included a golf outing and educational seminars led by speakers.