The Pennsylvania Food Merchants Association held its 2020 Annual Conference virtually due to concerns with the coronavirus.
The online event, from June 22-24, included six educational sessions, a keynote speaker, networking happy hour, live trivia, Board of Directors Meeting, and an Annual Meeting open to all members.
A highlight of the event was PFMA President & CEO Alex Baloga honoring outgoing Board of Directors Chair Jeffrey Brown with a gift as a thank you for his service to the Board and to the food industry as a whole.
“His hard work and his dedication, his loyalty to the organization and to the food industry, has really been unparalleled,” Baloga said. “Across the country from what I’ve seen there really is no finer chairman, so we’ve really been blessed to have him at the helm.”
Brown is President and CEO of Brown’s Super Stores and oversees 10 ShopRites and two Fresh Grocer stores in the Philadelphia region. “He fights for the best outcomes in food retail establishments and really focuses a lot on enhancing the overall communities and helping them prosper through his work in food deserts,” Baloga said. “His advocacy and determination has been a force in the face of extraordinary challenges.”
Earlier in the day, Tom Cormier was promoted from Board Vice Chair to Chair. Cormier is Manager of Government Affairs at Retail Business Services, a subsidiary of Ahold Delhaize USA. Lisa Dell’Alba, president & CEO of Bethlehem, Pa.-based Square One Markets was promoted from Board Treasurer to Vice Chair. Board Member Justin Evans, Director of Development Finance and Government for Giant Eagle, Inc., was elected Treasurer, and Board Secretary Gene Cleary, Senior Director, Independent Sales, retained his officer position.
“Tom, Lisa, Justin, and Gene are all successful professionals in the food industry and we’re confident their experience and diverse set of talents will greatly benefit our organization moving forward,” Baloga said. “At the same time, we want to thank Jeff for his service to the board, his leadership, dedication, and tireless advocacy on behalf of retail food establishments. We are sad that he is stepping down but grateful for all he has done for the food industry and excited for what the future holds.”
The conference included six educational sessions and a keynote session, conducted via Zoom:
- Enhancing the Customer Shopping Experience. Presenter: Gary Henderson, Facility Cleaning Solutions, LLC
- Current Federal Issues. Presenter: Jon Taets, National Association of Convenience Stores
- Financial Planning and Succession Planning in Light of Recent Federal Tax Changes. Presenter: Olga Blyweiss, Mazars USA
- Liquor/LCB Update. Presenters: Mark Kozar and Stan Wolowski of Flaherty & O’Hara, P.C.
- Growth Planning 2.0: Scaling your Business with the Zoom Method. Presenter: Jack McCraine, Baker Tilly
- Pennsylvania Lottery Update. Presenter: Drew Svitko, PA Lottery.
- Keynote Speaker: Jim Glassman, Chief Economist, J.P. Morgan Chase
You can watch the sessions on our YouTube channel.
PFMA partnered with Socio Events to facilitate the conference and attendees used the Socio app to find the session Zoom links, track the agenda, network and connect, and engage with other users. In all, 176 users logged in and viewed at least one session, with the majority watching on their desktop or laptop.
“In all, we were very happy with how the conference turned out given the challenges of conducting it online,” PFMA Director of Communications Matthew Kemeny said. “The Socio app was extremely helpful in helping users navigate the agenda and find the educational sessions most useful to them and their organizations. We’d really like to thank our attendees, members, speakers, staff, and Corporate Leadership Sponsors for their help in bringing the event together.”
Next up for PFMA is the Fall Legislative Conference, scheduled for October 27-28 at Hershey Country Club in Hershey, Pa. The event will include a golf outing, along with educational sessions focused on legislative activity, cybercrime, workforce inclusion, and other important topics. Save the date and stay tuned in the coming weeks for information on registration and an agenda.