NGA Names Ferrara President and CEO; Langley Joins The JOH Fresh Team

Greg Ferrara has been named president and CEO of the National Grocers Association (NGA. Ferrara succeeds Peter Larkin who announced his retirement in the fall of 2018.

“As a former independent grocer, Greg’s passion for our industry is second to none and his leadership over the years as NGA’s chief lobbyist, among other roles, has prepared him well to lead this organization into the future. We look forward to working with Greg to support his efforts to build upon the strong foundation that Peter Larkin has laid for NGA,” said NGA’s Cheryl Sommer, chair, and Mike Stigers vice-chair.

“I’m honored to have the opportunity to lead an organization and an industry that I care so passionately about. Independent grocers are the bedrock of thousands of communities across this country and NGA has played an essential role in ensuring that those entrepreneurs have the support they need to grow and be successful. The future is very bright, and I look forward to working closely with our Board of Directors and members to grow NGA’s influence and resources in support of our membership,” said Ferrara.

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Ferrara will officially take over as president and CEO on September 1, 2019, while Larkin will remain an advisor through the end of the year.

Ferrara currently serves as the executive vice president of NGA. He is responsible for overseeing NGA’s advocacy and lobbying efforts, public relations, industry relations and retail and wholesale membership. He is NGA’s chief lobbyist, responsible for representing the association and its members before members of Congress, federal agencies and the executive branch on a wide variety of issues while also overseeing NGA’s political and grassroots affairs, including the NGA Grocers PAC. Ferrera is also responsible for working closely with and maintaining an excellent relationship between NGA and its state trade association partners.

Having first joined NGA in November 2005, Ferrera brings a wealth of experience in the grocery industry having managed his family’s century-old supermarket in New Orleans before the store was ultimately destroyed in Hurricane Katrina. He has also worked as a corporate project manager for Associated Grocers in Baton Rouge, LA. Ferrera holds a BA in political ccience from Loyola University New Orleans and is a fellow of the prestigious Institute of Politics at Loyola University. He is a graduate of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Institute for Organization Management and is a graduate of the NGA Executive Leadership Program at Cornell University.

 

Kevin Langley has joined JOH as an account manager in its fresh division.

Langley joins JOH with 13 years of experience in the food industry, most recently with Burris Logistics where he worked inside Acne Markets to drive sales of all items in the frozen, refrigerated and dry categories. In his new position, he will report to Chris Darmody, EVP-fresh for JOH.

“We are excited to welcome Kevin aboard,” said Darmody.  “Kevin has strong knowledge and experience in the food business. He is driven to deliver results and will fit right in.”