WHO
Leaders in Convenience Foodservice
CFVG members are the industry experts who are reimagining what foodservice means in the convenience/mobility channel.
WHAT
Think Tank Forum
CFVG is an invitation only virtual forum that meets once a quarter to tackle the challenges and opportunities within the increasingly competitive foodservice market, where customer expectations for meals and snacks are always increasing.
WHY
Knowledge Sharing
Foodservice is the lifeblood of the modern competitive convenience store. CFVG is committed to sharing foodservice insights and knowledge, with the goal of helping the industry and shaping the future of convenience foodservice.
Convenience FoodserviceVision Group
Elevating Convenience Foodservice
Facilitated by Richard Poye, Convenience Foodservice Vision Group (CFVG) brings together a diverse range of industry leaders across culinary, marketing, operations, technology, sensory, safety, and select solution providers. CFVG members will collaboratively shape a thought-provoking agenda and through an open exchange of ideas and informed perspectives, will confront consumer and industry pain points head-on.
Consolidating the insights and experiences of its members, free CFVG Vision Reports will assist retailers and foodservice partners in enhancing the perception and effectiveness of convenience foodservice.
What we are passionate about
These are just some of the critical topics CFVG will explore:
- Menu development
- Product innovation
- Operational efficiency
- Foodservice profitability
- Technology integration
- Customer experience
- Consumer trends
- Health and wellness
- FSQA
- Supply chain management
- Sensory preferences
Meet Convenience Foodservice Vision Group

Jon Cox, Vice President Fresh and Own Brands
McLane Company, Inc.
Jon Cox is vice president of retail foodservice for McLane Company, Inc., one of the largest distributors in America serving convenience stores, mass merchants, and chain restaurants. Jon leads McLane’s foodservice strategy for its retail customers, driving innovation and helping customers implement programs tailored to their specific goals.
Jon oversees the McLane Fresh team, which manages the McLane Fresh suite of foodservice programs including Cupza!, McLane’s award-winning beverage program, Central Eats, fresh grab-and-go products for all dayparts, and the groundbreaking freezer to oven program, Prendisimo. Jon also led development and launch of McLane’s Innovation Kitchen, a full-scale c-store showcase for customers to explore the latest in foodservice menu and equipment innovation.
Jon joined McLane in 2023 and has more than 25 years of extensive leadership experience across retail, grocery, and convenience store organizations including Giant Food, HEB, Target, and Sears Holding Corporation. Prior to McLane he served as chief merchandising officer for Giant Eagle’s subsidiary Getgo Café + Market and WetGo.

Heather Davis, Senior Director of Food Service
Parker’s Kitchen
Heather Davis serves as the Senior Director of Food Service at Parker’s Kitchen, where she drives operational excellence and enhances customer loyalty through innovative leadership and a commitment to quality. In this strategic role, Heather oversees food service operations across over 100 locations, ensuring alignment with corporate goals while delivering outstanding quality and customer satisfaction.
Heather is committed to culinary excellence, working alongside her team to refine menu offerings and analyze performance for profitability. She plays a key role in adopting advanced technologies to drive operational efficiencies and enhance customer the experience.
She has successfully led the launch of new menu items such as Parker’s Fried Chicken Tender Sandwich and has expanded grab-and-go offerings to include fresh salads, sandwiches, and desserts.
Parker’s is known for its technologically driven efficiencies, and Heather has worked with the Parker’s Technology team to implement the innovative SmartKitchen, which allows Parker’s Kitchen to predict food demand, keeping food fresh and stocked for customers while reducing waste. Additionally, she served on the team that rolled out customer-facing ordering kiosks to Parker’s Kitchen locations.
Recognized for her leadership skills, Heather mentors a high-performing team, fostering a collaborative and results-oriented environment. Her commitment to compliance and food safety ensures that all operations meet or exceed industry standards.
Prior to joining Parker’s Kitchen, Heather held operational leadership positions within the food service industry, where she developed a deep understanding of consumer behavior and market trends.
Heather is passionate about delivering exceptional food experiences and positioning Parker’s Kitchen as a leader in the industry. She was recognized as a TWIC Rising Star by Convenience Store News in 2021.

Todd Fangman, Sr. Foodservice Mgr
Wills Group (Dash In)
I am the Senior Foodservice Manager at Dash In, where I oversee supply chain strategy and lead menu innovation. Prior to joining Dash In, I served as Director of Culinary for a restaurant group, overseeing P&L performance, menu development, and chef leadership across multiple brands and states. I specialize in building and retaining strong teams, disciplined cost management, and developing craveable menus that are operationally scalable.

Brandon Frampton, Director of Fresh Food
Loop & Poppy

Stephanie Galentine, COO
Lassus Bros. Oil, Inc.
Stephanie Galentine, Chief Operating Officer at Lassus Brothers Oil, Inc., has been a part of the company since 1995. Her career in the convenience and fuel retailing industry has been marked by her diverse roles and her unwavering focus on people. Whether it's through training, professional development, or fostering a culture of servant leadership, Stephanie firmly believes that the well-being of individuals is the cornerstone of all successes.
Stephanie's commitment to servant leadership extends beyond her professional relationships. She actively participates in her parish and dedicates time to volunteer work and fundraising for the local community. Married with three sons, she treasures the moments she spends with her family, cherishing quality time as often as possible.

Brad Handler, Food Service Category Manager
Family Express

Shultz Hartgrove, President
Tres Picosos, Inc.
Shultz Augustus Hartgrove III, President
Shultz A. Hartgrove III is the President of Tres Picosos, leading the Company's mission to revolutionize Mexican food options in the retail sector. Established in Denver, the Company offers a diverse range of Mexican cuisine, from packaged burritos to fully cooked proteins, sides, and salsas.
Under Shultz's leadership, Tres Picosos has grown significantly, serving over more than 5000 convenience, grocery, and foodservice retailers across 49 states. His strategic vision and operational expertise have propelled the Company to the forefront of the industry, catering to the evolving tastes of consumers nationwide.
With extensive experience in retail and non-traditional channels, Shultz has achieved record sales and operational efficiency in previous roles. He served as Senior Vice President of Channel Development at Einstein Noah Restaurant, where he revolutionized the non-traditional platform, achieving significant sales milestones.
Shultz's career also includes senior leadership roles at Quiznos Sub and Nature's Bounty, where he drove sales growth in convenience and non-traditional channel segments. In 1994, Shultz founded Brand Management, specializing in consumer packaged product introduction. He relaunched the company in 2014, incorporating franchise development strategies to innovate the restaurant industry.

Koko Jones, Director
Jacksons Food Stores
- BS in Food Science and Toxicology
- 20 years in food manufacturing
- Five years in retail
- Six Sigma Black Belt
- Lean Expert

Barbara Kessler, Marketing Director
CrossAmerica Partners
Barbara Kessler brings decades of expertise in the food, beverage, and convenience retail sectors, with a proven track record of driving innovation and growth in foodservice. As Senior Director of Food and Beverage for The Wills Group, Barbara oversees the strategic development of Dash In's foodservice offerings across the Mid-Atlantic region. Her leadership has been instrumental in elevating the brand's culinary program, crafting modern menus, and redesigning retail concepts to meet evolving customer expectations.
Barbara's passion for innovation aligns with the mission of CFVG to reimagine the role of foodservice in the convenience channel. She is deeply committed to knowledge sharing and collaboration, believing that cross-functional partnerships and bold ideas are essential to shaping the future of convenience foodservice. A recognized industry leader, Barbara was honored as a 2022 Top Women in Convenience, Senior Leader Level.
Through her work, Barbara continues to champion excellence in foodservice, creating memorable guest experiences while delivering measurable results for her organization and the industry at large.

Kris Klinger, VP Auxiliary Services
Boston University
Kristian Klinger, Vice President, Auxiliary Services began his tenure at Boston University in October 2022. Kristian has more than 30 years of experience in hospitality and auxiliary services. He spent the previous two plus years as Senior Associate Vice President of Auxiliary Services at Syracuse University. In this role, he oversaw operations in Food Services; Housing, Meal Plan, and I.D. Card Services; Parking and Transportation Services; Drumlins Country Club; Minnowbrook Conference Center; the Sheraton Syracuse University Hotel and Conference Center; the Lubin House; the Syracuse University Campus Store and Trademark Licensing.
Prior to joining Syracuse University, Kristian spent 11 years as Assistant Vice President within the University of Southern California’s (USC) Auxiliary Services department. While at USC Kristian also taught an introduction to foodservice class that was part of a Master’s in Dietetics program through the USC Davis School of Gerontology. Kristian earned his EdD at the USC Rossier School of Education, his MBA at the USC Marshall School of Business and holds a bachelor’s degree in German and International Relations from the same university. Kristian is a veteran of the United States Marine Corps where he proudly served our country as an air traffic controller.
As Vice President for Auxiliary Services, Kristian and his team below have oversight and leadership responsibilities of Food Services and Convenience Stores, Housing, Parking and Transportation, Events & Conferences, Agganis Arena, Fitness & Recreation Center, Barnes & Noble @ BU, Vending Services and Trademark and Licensing. As Auxiliary Services touches nearly every aspect of University life, Kristian and his team collaborate with other campus and community leaders to advance a number of key initiatives in an effort to enhance the living and learning experience for the University’s diverse student population.

Ryan Krebs, Sr Director of Food & Beverage
Sprint Mart
Ryan Krebs began cooking in local restaurants at age 15. He received a degree in Culinary Arts from Johnson & Wales University, as well as a Dietary Manager's Certification from the University of North Dakota. In addition to restaurants, his experience as an Executive Chef has included country clubs, hotels, private catering and healthcare. Since 2015, Ryan has held c-store Foodservice Leadership roles at Rutter’s, Enmarket & currently at Sprint Mart. Sprint Mart is based in Tupelo, MS and operates 94 locations in MS, AL and LA. Ryan has been nationally recognized during his c-store career as the Foodservice Leader of the Year and Top Chef in Convenience. In addition, Sprint Mart has been recognized as the 2026 Foodservice Innovator to Watch.

Don McKenzie, CEO
The Imagine Group
Don McKenzie is a seasoned chief executive and board member with a track record of building, transforming, and scaling marketing and communications businesses through organic growth, operational improvement, and strategic acquisitions. His leadership experience spans privately held, private-equity-backed, and public companies, with a consistent focus on value creation, technology-enabled transformation, and talent development.
Don currently serves as Chief Executive Officer and Board Member of The Imagine Group, a national provider of visual communications, print production, and experiential marketing solutions serving the retail, convenience store, grocery, QSR and entertainment industries. Under his leadership, the company has focused on operational excellence, technology-driven capabilities, and strategic growth initiatives designed to strengthen market leadership and long-term enterprise value.
In addition to his executive role, Don serves on the Board of Directors of OSG Connect, a leader in Customer Communications Management, where he contributes expertise in corporate strategy, industry transformation, and growth initiatives.
Throughout his career, Don has held senior leadership roles at several prominent organizations, including President & Chief Growth Officer of Innovairre, and previously President and CEO of SourceLink, Direct Group, Petsky Prunier, CC3, and SuperCoups. In these roles he led large-scale business transformations, executed acquisition and integration strategies, and drove sustained operational and revenue growth.
Don has also advised leading organizations and investors on strategy and competitiveness. His advisory experience includes service on the Competitiveness Council at Cerberus Capital Management, as well as advisory roles with HomeValet and Azimuth GRC.
An active contributor to the marketing and communications industry, Don previously served two terms as Vice Chairman of the Direct Marketing Association, the world’s largest trade association supporting nonprofit and commercial direct marketers. He is also a frequent speaker at domestic and international conferences on topics including M&A strategy, data-driven marketing, leadership during transformation, and integrated communications.

Gitika Mehan
RaceTrac, Director Food Safety & Quality
A passionate food industry executive, with diverse background of food categories, who is a technical thinker while being customer-centric. I am very comfortable engaging with all levels of management, while leading and coaching team members as needed.
- Approximately 30 years food industry experience within the USA and Canada, with broad influence from executive management to line workers.
- Skilled Quality / Food Safety professional with experience developing, managing and executing quality management systems including GMPs, HACCP and Food Safety Plans required by the Food Safety Modernization Act, regulatory relations/programs and internal/external certification programs.
- Understanding of FDA (US Food and Drug Administration), CFIA (Canadian Food Inspection Agency) regulations, SFCR (Safe Food for Canada Regulations) and the USDA (United Stated Department of Agriculture).
- Seasoned communicator comfortable presenting at all levels within the organization.
- Experienced leader of teams able to organize and lead people with diverse backgrounds to achieve a common objective.
- Food Safety Modernization Act Preventive Controls Qualified Individual (PCQI) Certified.
- Multiple Food Category experiences: coffee, pasteurization (pickles and salsa), frozen foods (eggos, pancake, entrees, meat and meat alternatives) bakery products, cookies, crackers, cereal, nutritional bars, processed cheese, sauces, thermal processed beverages, poultry, fruits and vegetables.
- Knowledge of Food Safety and Quality expectations within food manufacturing facilities, restaurants, retail
stores and DC operations.

Jac Moskalik, VP of Food, Innovation and Strategy
Global Partners, LP
Passionate and strategic foodservice executive with 25+ years of experience in marketing, food service, category management, operations, supply chain and sales for both retail and distribution. Proven track record on financial deliverables in leadership with demonstrated expertise in P&L management. Possesses strong interpersonal, analytical, negotiation and communication skills.

Wes Stone, CEO
Ultimate Sales
My commitment to the convenience store industry runs deeper than business—it’s my passion, my family legacy, and my life’s work.
In 1994, I founded Ultimate Sales with a simple but radical idea: focus exclusively on food for the c-store channel. While competitors chased scale, we chose specialization. That focus reshaped the category and helped ignite the modern food-to-go movement across North America. Today, Ultimate connects award-winning brands with more than 140,000 convenience stores, driving growth for the nation’s top manufacturers through strategy, execution, and relentless follow-through.
After 25 years leading c-store foodservice, we’re evolving again—expanding our reach across all key categories, from snacks and candy to packaged beverages. This next chapter builds on decades of trust and partnership with retailers, distributors, and suppliers who know we deliver from concept to consumption.
C-stores aren’t a division of our business—they are our business.
At Ultimate, integrity, service, and excellence aren’t slogans—they’re standards. Our team contributes over 800 volunteer hours each year, living our belief that success means more when it gives something back.

Derek Thurston, Director of Foodservice
Cliffs Local Market
Serving as Director of Food Service Operations, Derek, a seasoned QSR professional, has played a key role in enhancing food operations and driving significant growth for a well-established CNY convenience store chain.
Starting early in age within the restaurant industry, Thurston joined the Subway brand in high school. He worked at multiple Subway Sandwich Shops while earning an Associate degree in Restaurant Management from Morrisville State College and later a Bachelor's Degree in Broadcasting Mass Communication at Oswego State University.
Upon graduation, Thurston joined Subway Development of CNY as a Field Consultant, providing operational and profitability support to over 200 Subway locations in the region. During this time, he also worked with Auntie Anne’s and Taco Del Mar franchises, assisting with store openings and ongoing operational support.
In 2015, Thurston joined a franchise of the growing local company Nice and Easy Grocery Shoppes, which later rebranded as Cliffs Local Market. His deep expertise in the quick service restaurant industry has been instrumental in the growth of Cliffs’ food service operations. Under his leadership, Cliffs launched Recipe Based Inventory, refined its menu offerings, and launched several successful local LTOs. The company is known for its commitment to in-house food preparation and advanced industry practices.
Passionate about his community, Thurston enjoys volunteering his time to coach youth sports. In his free time, he enjoys outdoor adventures with his wife and two children: Darren and Alaina.

Michelle Weckstein, Director of Food and Beverage Brands
Southwest Georgia Oil dba SunStop
Michelle Weckstein is the Director of Food and Beverage Brands at SunStop.
In Weckstein’ s role as Food and Beverage Brand Director, she mentors and fosters the development of a highly talented team of foodies with a passion for quality, and culture of excellence.
Michelle’s vast industry experience stems from a variety of roles in Human Resources and restaurant operations where she has created training and development programs, management leadership programs and operational systems for other companies that include Pizza Hut, Applebee’s, Winking Lizard Tavern, Inc., and Parker’s Kitchens.
Michelle offers diverse industry insight and is considered a subject matter expert by her peers in foodservice systems, executional efficiency and profitability, building operational consistency, understanding costs and margins, development of people, and product development.
Under Weckstein’s leadership, the “Eat’s Southern Cookin’” and “Eat’s Fresh on the Go” brands were created and implemented in 38 of the company’s locations. Weckstein is committed to continuing the growth of those brands while making the company’s non-traditional deli locations a destination for fresh, quality, grab-and-go food. She is driven to enhance the guest experience and raise the standard for exceptional food service within the convenience store industry.
Weckstein is a graduate of the University Akron and is a certified ServSafe Instructor and registered examination proctor through the National Restaurant Association.
Michelle and her husband Bob reside in Thomasville, GA and have two sons, Anthony and Alex.
SunStop is owned and operated by Southwest Georgia Oil Co Inc. based in Bainbridge, Georgia. The company employees more than 1000 people and operates 80 SunStop convenience stores in Alabama, Florida, and Georgia. It is ranked the 86th largest convenience store operator in the country.

Will Welch, Director of Foodservice
Kwik Trip
I serve as the Director of Foodservice, supporting and developing Food Service District Leaders while driving consistent execution across food programs. My focus is on selling more food safely, strengthening leadership, and partnering across teams to deliver quality, efficiency, and continuous improvement.
CFVG Advisor and Facilitator

Richard Poye, COO
Food Trends Think Tank
I am an accomplished Executive Leader with an extensive portfolio of success driving sales and profitability growth across the convenience retail, grocery, and CPG industries.
Among my most notable qualifications:
- Reputation as food & beverage innovation leader, well-versed in restructuring menus & merchandising strategies, launching new services, enhancing customer experience, and optimizing program execution, processes, and operations.
- Talent for building, leading, mentoring, motivating, and empowering high-performing teams while improving retention rates.
- Big-picture strategist and creative problem-solver, with solid tactical execution skills.
- Polished negotiation, relationship-building, and public speaking skills.
I am known as a skilled P&L leader who excels in building high-performance teams, fostering innovative cultures, and enhancing guest experiences. I'm also active in the industry, serving as a board member of Outlook Leadership and as a member of the Operator Advisory Council and the National Association of Convenience Stores Political Action Committee.
CFVG Past Members

Ryan Blevins, Vice President of Sales and Operations
Fresh Stop
Ryan Blevins is an award-winning Executive Culinary Strategist with over 20 years’ experience managing the full cycle of culinary product development across various sectors of the Food and Beverage industry. He is currently the Senior Vice President of Sales and Operations for Fresh Stop where he is pioneering transformative strategies proven to drive traffic, sales, and profits. Prior to Fresh Stop, Ryan spent many years in QSR, fine and casual dining leveraging competitive menu positioning and consumer insights to create unparalleled, craveable experiences, directing processes from ideation, testing, and analysis through launch. He has worked in kitchens all over the world including places like Italy, Thailand, South Korea and Saudi Arabia. He is a father of Daniel and Heather and husband to Isabel.

Joe Brumfield, Sr Category Manager - Beverages
La Lomita Inc
Sr Category Manager for Packaged Beverages, Beer/Wine and Dispensed Beverages for La Lomita Inc. Based in Edinberg TX, La Lomita is the parent company of El Tigre Food Stores and Tex-Best Travel Centers located in Central and South Texas.
He is responsible for the overall sales and profit growth of those categories, develops promotional programs, oversees the product assortment, retail pricing, negotiates CMA agreement, and manages the vendor relationships. He has been with La Lomita Inc since May of 2022.
Prior to taking this role, Joe was a National Account Manager with Eternal Beverages. Prior to that role, Joe was the Packaged Beverage Category Manager for Circle K – Texas. Circle K acquired Valero/CST Brands in 2018, where Joe had previously been the Dispensed Beverage Category Manager since 2014.
Before relocating to Texas, Joe spent 14 years at BP Products North America in various roles, including Category Manager, National Merchandising Manager and Marketing Programs Manager.
Joe began his career with 7-Eleven (The Southland Corp) in 1986. His roles during his 14 years with 7-Eleven included Operations, Franchising and Merchandising.
Joe earned a B.S. in Business from the University of Redlands, Redlands CA. He is also NACS certified in Category Management, AMA Certified in Project Management and has completed formal CPCM Training through CMKG.
He is divorced and has a 24-year-old son. After living in six different states, Joe calls Boerne TX, (just outside San Antonio), home. His hobbies and passions include golf, concerts, and live music (Red Dirt and Texas Country) fishing and photography.

Stephen Skidds, Director of Fresh Foods and Culinary
Nouria Energy
As a Director of Fresh Foods & Culinary at Nouria Energy, Steve leads the development and execution of the food service strategy for +330 convenience stores across 8 states, with over 23 years of experience in category management and brand merchandising, he has a deep understanding of the consumer behavior, market trends, and competitive landscape in the convenience retail industry. His driving focus is to deliver exceptional value and quality to enhance the customer experience, while driving growth through innovation and technology.
His previous roles include Director of Food Service with EG America in addition to multiple marketing and category management roles within Circle-K and Irving Oil. He holds a bachelor’s degree in business administration from Southern New Hampshire University.

Jasmine Struble, Senior Foodservice Category Manager
Yesway
Jasmine Struble is an ex-Fortune 100, 500+ unit chain purchasing professional, now serving as Senior Foodservice Category Manager for Yesway, 400+ convenience chain. With 10 years of Foodservice expertise, Jasmine is dedicated to influencing sustainable results through cross-team partnerships and strategic long-term negotiations. Jasmine’s passions include leveraging diverse suppliers to further strengthen the marketplace, as well as environmental transformation initiatives such as waste diversion pilots.

Mike Weber
Upshop, CMO
Mike Weber has spent much of his career rooted in the retail experience, beginning with retail design and shopper strategy for mass merchandisers, grocers and c-stores. He transitioned from retail strategy to branding, leading strategy for leading organizations such as SAP, Microsoft, Aramco and GSK across London and NYC. After building and exiting a boutique design agency, Weber re-entered retail via technology to lead Upshop's marketing, partnership and thought leadership.

Bonnie Zaring, Executive Director, Food Programs and Offers
RaceTrac Inc
Bonnie has two decades of experience in retail, specializing in purchasing, merchandising, and food operations. Since 2001, she has been a leader in RaceTrac’s merchandising department, where she is responsible for driving sales and market share in food service categories, including hot foods, fresh foods, bakery, dispensed beverages, and Swirl World. Bonnie oversees the food merchandising and culinary teams, which play a pivotal role in expanding RaceTrac’s food operations.
Her previous roles include serving as Regional Director of Food with Walmart and Fresh Market Manager with Sam’s Club. Bonnie holds a bachelor’s degree in Business and Public Relations from Georgia Southern University. She is passionate about mentoring future leaders and developing innovative food solutions for guests in the convenience store industry.
*Bio, Title and Position at the time of group membership.
CFVG Ally Supporters
Past CFVG Ally Supporters
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