39 participants learn leadership and decision-making best practices to bring back to their organizations
Ithaca, New York – The National Grocers Association Foundation (NGAF) has completed its 2024 Executive Leadership Development Program (ELDP), a four-day conference offering personalized coaching and interactive leadership instruction.
The program, held June 2-6, 2024, at Cornell University in Ithaca, N.Y., and sponsored by PepsiCo, provides hands-on, lecture and group activities for high-impact learning. This year’s session hosted nearly 40 participants from companies across the grocery industry, including retailers, wholesalers and distributors. PepsiCo and the NGAF Women Grocers of America provided scholarships to two of the participants.
PepsiCo is a multiyear sponsor and supporter of ELDP and its scholarship program, designed to invest in leaders at critical stages in their career to provide them with skills needed to advance up through the executive ranks. The partnership provides rising professionals with more access to networking and leadership development, giving them the edge they need to propel their careers forward.
“This event continues to educate, uplift, encourage and inspire talented individuals committed to driving growth and innovation in an industry that’s so essential to the wellbeing of the communities they serve,” said NGA Foundation Vice President Chelsea Matzen.
The program offered participants the opportunity to assess their interpersonal needs and the impact of their behavior in the workplace, receive guidance in conflict management, review benchmarks for managers and sit for one-on-one coaching sessions.
ELDP’s far-reaching agenda explored the challenge of leadership in today’s business climate, leadership strategies, decision-making case studies, management team leadership, attracting and inspiring a changing workforce, making effective connections, and personal leadership development plans.
A new active learning session this year was the ropes course, a series of outdoor group initiatives and challenges that required groups to brainstorm, plan, implement, evaluate and improvise in a team environment. These low- and high-elements courses were designed to promote trust, communication, collaboration and leadership among participants, with the opportunity to stretch personal comfort zones and engage both mentally and physically.
Additionally, this year’s DEI session, “Creating a Culture of Inclusion Through Conscious Allyship,” discussed indicators that impact workplace culture and dynamics and the effect on the organization and people. The session compelled participants to look at their own pre-existing mindsets and learn about unconscious bias in an effort to bring about change; enhance their ability to recognize and negotiate social dynamics in the workplace; and become allies by building a more equitable and inclusive workplace.
A variety of evening events included a dinner event titled “Ithaca is Delicious” sponsored by Instacart. The party hosted by the e-commerce solutions provider featured local foods and beverages.
Two of this year’s participants were recipients of scholarships that supported their attendance at the conference.
Javier Zaragoza, a 20-year veteran of Chicago’s seven-store Fairplay Foods, is the recipient of the 2024 PepsiCo Diversity in Leadership Scholarship. Misty Kern, who oversees training and food safety for 139 supermarkets operated by K-VA-T’s Food City banner in Alabama, Georgia, Kentucky, Tennessee and Virginia, has been awarded the 2024 Women Grocers of America Scholarship.
These scholarship recipients demonstrate a commitment to their personal development as well as a devotion to mentoring others while promoting diversity among their companies’ executive ranks.
Zaragoza has worked in various capacities during his two decades with Fairplay, including manager of the company’s highest-volume store, which is located in a food desert. “While managing a very challenging store, Javier has demonstrated excellent managerial skills. Zaragoza is Hispanic and has used his position to hire and train multiple employees of Hispanic and African American descent, mentoring them to additional management positions,” said Paul Goodrich, Fairplay Foods director of meat operations, who nominated Zaragoza for the scholarship. “We are promoting Javier to store operations manager. We feel that Javier will leverage this additional training to help him excel in this new leadership position.”
“Diversity is part of our foundation at PepsiCo and we’ve long supported development programs like the National Grocers Association’s ELDP because it truly exemplifies the spirit of diversity in leadership,” said Kent Montgomery, SVP of industry relations and multicultural development for PepsiCo. “Enhancing leadership diversity helps propel growth by bringing a greater level of talent and creativity that better reflects the diverse communities served by the grocery industry.”
Nominated by K-VA-T Executive Vice President of Store Operations John Jones, Kern’s responsibilities include Food City’s supermarkets, as well as the company’s eight retail hardware stores and a distribution center, plus supervision of the company’s retail and corporate internship programs. Kern has seven direct reports and is also active in her community promoting recycling programs and volunteering to pack and deliver food and toys across the Appalachia region. She is also a founding member of her company’s EMPOWER program, which supports female associates through education, mentorship and fellowship.
“From dedication to her company to her commitment to mentoring and to enriching her community, Misty is an exemplary choice for this year’s WGA Scholarship,” Matzen said. “Likewise, Javier has demonstrated a commitment to leadership that the ELDP is certain to nurture further.”
Here is the complete list of 2024 ELDP graduates:
John Mostler, Allegiance Retail Services
Thomas Horne, Associated Foods Stores
Stephen Acosta, Associated Grocers Inc.
Thomas Weaver, Associated Grocers Inc.
Reena Mathew, Associated Wholesale Grocers
Cole Painter, Associated Wholesale Grocers
Candy Sittig, Associated Wholesale Grocers
Tenneille McFarlane-Smart, Big Y Foods
Kraig Gibson, Certco Inc.
John van Dorsten, Certco Inc.
Samantha Johnston, Clark’s Market
Dusty Kerssen, Coborn’s Inc.
Kris Roberts, Coborn’s Inc.
Javier Zaragoza, Fairplay Foods
George Balderaz, G.E. Foodland Inc.
Brendon Garrett, Garrett Enterprises Inc.
Reagan Haynie, Garrett Enterprises Inc.
Corrine Stowe, Harmons Grocery
Burrel Book, Harps Food Stores Inc.
Shannon Clark, Houchens Food Group Inc.
Misty Kern, K-VA-T Foods/Food City
Hannah Smith, K-VA-T Foods/Food City
Marissa Smoyer, Lipari Foods
Mike Winnick, McCaffrey’s Markets
Bobby Watkins, Merchants Distributors Inc.
Marc Huber, Ravitz Family Markets ShopRite
Daniel Poussart, Ravitz Family Markets ShopRite
Joel Edwards, Roberts Company Inc.
David Anthony, ShopRite Supermarkets Inc.
Nicholas DeSetto, ShopRite Supermarkets Inc.
Diana Fritz, ShopRite Supermarkets Inc.
Steve Rich, ShopRite Supermarkets Inc.
Phillip Penta, Three Guys From Brooklyn
Keith Marsh, Wakefern Food Corp.
Rebecca Gottlieb Adam, Wakefern Food Corp.
Eric Bone, Wayfield Foods Inc.
Tyler Ellis, Woodman’s Food Market
Alex Rice, Woodman’s Food Market
Brandon Sanwick, Woodman’s Food Market
About the ELDP
The NGA Foundation Executive Leadership Development Program (ELDP) is designed to develop and prepare leaders to face business challenges in the 21st-century marketplace. The conference is a high-impact learning opportunity encompassing intense, interactive instruction presented by a mix of respected academics and industry leaders. Reserved for employees of retailer and wholesaler members of NGA, the program is designed for current mid to upper-level executives with large spans of control and responsibilities that require delegation of tasks to others. These employees must be rising executives who are candidates for increased “people” and general management responsibilities.
About NGA Foundation
The NGA Foundation is the 501(c)3 nonprofit arm of the National Grocers Association. The Foundation provides independent retailers with tools to develop more effective recruiting programs, enhance retention efforts and bolster professional leadership development opportunities for employers. For more information, visit www.ngafoundation.org.
