Greg Parker
Greg Parker, Executive Chairman
Parker’s
Greg Parker, the founder and CEO of Parker’s and Parker’s Kitchen, opened his first convenience store in Midway, Ga. in 1976. Today, he leads a nationally acclaimed company that was named the 2020 Convenience Store Chain of the Year and is widely known for high-quality foodservice, the cleanest stores in the industry and cutting-edge technology. Inducted into the Convenience Store Hall of Fame, Parker has been recognized as the Foodservice Leader of the Year, Tech Executive of the Year, Citizen of the Year, Savannah Area Chamber of Commerce and Savannah Morning News Entrepreneur of the Year and Georgia Trend Legacy Leader.
A steadfast advocate of giving back to the community, Parker has donated more than $30 million to charitable causes across coastal Georgia and South Carolina and received the 2022 Georgia Southern University Parker College of Business Corporate Partner Award. Parker is a longtime member of the Young Presidents’ Organization (YPO) and is active in the Petroleum Marketers Study Group. He previously served as the Vice Chairman of Research for the National Association of Convenience Stores, Chairman of the BPAmoco Marketers Association and a member of the Pepsi Retail Advisory Council as well as the Coca-Cola Retail Advisory Committee.
Parker currently serves on the Savannah Economic Development Authority (SEDA) board and previously chaired the Mayor’s Business Roundtable and the Keep Savannah Clean anti-litter campaign. He is the proud father of Olivia, Bennett and Lily Parker.
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Drayton McLane Jr.
Drayton McLane Jr., Businessman, Philanthropist
McLane Group
DRAYTON MCLANE, JR. serves as chairman of the McLane Group and is the former CEO of the Houston Astros Baseball Club. A native Texan, this acclaimed businessman, leader, and generous philanthropist, ensures the focus of all his endeavors are based upon strong Christian values and moral ethics.
The grandson of a successful entrepreneur, Drayton experienced firsthand the hard work and dedication it takes to successfully thrive in industry. He began developing his tireless work ethic at age nine by working for his father at the family’s wholesale grocery business, the McLane Company. Mr. McLane received his Bachelor of Business Administration degree from Baylor University in 1958 and his Master of Business Administration degree from Michigan State University in 1959. Upon completion of his formal education, Drayton came back to begin working at the family business loading trucks on the second shift. He worked his way up and by earning the respect and admiration of his co-workers, he became president and CEO of the company in 1964 and held these positions for thirty years.
During his tenure, he propelled the McLane Company into a nineteen billion dollar company, achieving an average growth rate of thirty percent per year. Following the McLane Company’s merger with Wal-Mart, Inc. in 1990, he became vice-chairman of Wal-Mart while maintaining his position at the McLane Company. After playing key roles in each of these companies’ growth and productivity, he resigned in order to devote more time to the McLane Group, a parent company consisting of family owned companies operating throughout the world, which until November of 2011 included the Houston Astros where he served as Chairman and CEO. Drayton McLane completed his nineteenth season with the Astros in 2011 when he sold the team. Over the years, their philosophy remained consistent – bring home a World Series championship to Houston and make a positive difference in the community. They were unable to bring home a championship, but they were the first Texas team to make it to the World Series and they also made a very positive difference in the community.
Current Activities:
- George and Barbara Bush Foundation Trustee 2017 (George H.W. Bush Presidential Library Foundation)
- Board of Trustees, Baylor Scott & White Healthcare (2013 – present)
- Baylor Scott & White Assurance Board
- Member, National Board of Governors, Cooper Institute for Aerobics Research
- Advisory Board, The Bush School of Government & Public Service - Texas A&M University
- Board of Trustees, Baylor College of Medicine (Emeritus)
- Board of Visitors, The University Cancer Foundation, M.D. Anderson
- MD Anderson Cancer Prevention Committee - 2021
Past Activities:
- Board Director, Happy State Bank
- Chairman, Texas Economic Development Corporation (TxEDC) 2019 – 2021
- Chairman, Texas Central Partners (High Speed Rail) 2017 - 2021
- Baylor University Board of Regents, Chairman Emeritus 2010 to 2020
- Chairman, Board of Trustees, Baylor Scott & White Healthcare
- Chairman, Scott & White Healthcare Board of Trustees
- Chairman of the Board, Temple Chamber of Commerce, 1978
- President, Baylor University Development Council, 1981
- Chairman, United Way Campaign, Temple, Texas, 1983-1984
- Member Texas State Board, Mental Health and Mental Retardation, 1985-1989
- Chairman, United Way, Temple, Texas, 1987
- Trustee, Baylor University, 1988-1990
- Member, Baylor Board of Regents, 1991-2006
- Honorary Campaign Chairman, United Way, Temple, Texas, 1991
- Vice-Chairman & Director, Wal-Mart Stores, Inc, 1990-1994
- Vice President at Large, Boy Scouts of America National Board
- Chairman of the Board, Children’s Miracle Network 1993-1994
- Chairman, Pacesetter Campaign – United Way, Gulf Coast-Houston, 1994-1997
- Chairman of the Board of Regents, Baylor University, 2002-2004
- Executive Committee Member, Major League Baseball, 1995-2011
Board Director, Greater Houston Partnership, 1994-2000 & 2002-2008 - Chairman, Board of Trustees, Scott & White Memorial Hospital, 2001-2013
- Chairman, Opportunity Houston 1.0 and 2.0
- Board member Heart of Texas Defense Alliance, 2013 – 2019
Honors:
- Boy Scouts of America Silver Beaver Award Recipient, 1985
- Management Excellence & Achievement Award-University of Georgia, School of Business, 1985
- Arthur Young/VENTURE Magazine Entrepreneur of the Year, 1987
- Boy Scouts of America Silver Antelope Award, 1988
- Boy Scouts of America Distinguished Citizen Award, H.O.T. Council, 1989
- American Achiever Award, National American Wholesale Grocers Assoc, 1990
- Baylor University, Distinguished Alumni Award, 1990
- Anti-Defamation League of B’nai B’rith Food Distributor, Man of the Year, New York City, 1990
- Baylor University, W.R. White Meritorious Service Award, 1991
- Texas Business Hall of Fame Foundation Honoree, 1992
- Texas A&M University, College of Business Administration and Graduate School of Business, Master Entrepreneur of the Year, 1993
- Michigan State University, Honorary Doctorate Degree, 1997
- American Academy of Achievement – Golden Plate Award, 1997
- Distributors International Herbert Hoover Food Industry Award, 1998
- Houston Community Partners, Father of the Year Award, 2000
- Boy Scouts of America Silver Buffalo Award Recipient, 2004
- NASA’s Public Service Award, 2005
- The International Society of Logistics (SOLE) Field Award for Supply Chain Mgmt, 2006
- Woodrow Wilson Award for Public Service, 2008
- University of St. Thomas, Ethical Leadership Award, 2008
- Dallas Baptist University, Russell H. Perry Free Enterprise Award, 2008
- Baylor University Regent Emeritus, 2010
- Austin College, Honorary Doctorate Degree, 2011
- Texas Transportation Hall of Honor Inductee, 2011
- Central Texas Association of Fundraising Professional's Lifetime Achievement Award, 2012
- Baylor University Founders Award, 2013
- Mirabeau B. Lamar Award – For Higher Education, 2013
- Texas Healthcare Trustees Founders Award, 2013
- Sports Hall of Fame, Lamar Hunt Lifetime Achievement Award, 2014
- Cooper Institute, Legacy Award, 2017
Drayton and his wife, Elizabeth, live in Temple, Texas. They are proud parents and grandparents. They have two sons, Drayton McLane, III and Denton McLane. Drayton III and wife Amy have three sons, and Denton and his wife Amy, have two sons. They are members of the First Baptist Church of Belton..
Don McKenzie
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.
James Hervey
James Hervey, Head of Petro
Verifone
James is a 20+ year veteran of the petroleum and convenience store industry. In his career James has managed convenience stores, worked for NACS, the global trade association representing the industry, and for the last 13 years has led product management and marketing for the petroleum and convenience store vertical inside of Verifone.
Mark Hawthorne
Mark Hawthorne, Chief Innovation and Strategy Officer
Upshop
Mark is a senior food retail executive with nearly 20 years of experience at Safeway and Albertsons Companies, where he helped build enterprise capabilities across pricing, promotions, merchandising, loyalty, and shopper analytics.
He later served as a Partner at Nsight, advising grocery retailers and food retail technology providers on market strategy, operating models, and technology investments that deliver measurable results.
Mark is now Chief Innovation and Strategy Officer at Upshop, leading market strategy, growth, and value realization. He works closely with retail executives to support long-term planning and ensure technology investments translate into real business outcomes.
Scott Hartman
Scott Hartman, CEO
Rutter's
Scott is President/CEO of Rutter’s Holdings, operating 82 Rutter’s convenience stores in Pennsylvania, Maryland and West Virginia; Rutter’s Dairy, selling products in five states; and M&G Realty a commercial real estate holding company. Rutter’s is the oldest vertically integrated food company in the U.S. dating back 11 generations, 275 years to 1747. In 2022, Rutter’s was listed as the 77th largest convenience store chain in the US. Rutter’s convenience stores celebrated 50 years in convenience in 2018 and the dairy celebrated 100 years in business in 2021. Rutter’s was recently listed as the second largest privately held company in Central Pennsylvania.
Scott started in the family business at the age of 12 working summers. He received his Accounting Degree from George Washington University and MBA from Duke University. He was employed by Price Waterhouse as Senior Manager in Consulting from 1983-1990 and is a CPA.
Scott is past Chairman of National Association of Convenience Stores, Petroleum Convenience Association for Technology Standards, the Pennsylvania Convenience Store Council and Pennsylvania Food Merchants Association. Scott has served on Advisory Boards to companies including Coca-Cola and PepsiCo. He has served on many local charity boards including York Memorial Hospital, The American Red Cross and Easter Seals. Scott has also been a guest lecturer at Boston University and national & international presenter at numerous food industry conferences.
Scott has been inducted into the Convenience Store Hall of Fame, Food Industry Hall of Fame, Convenience Store Technology Hall of Fame and Candy Hall of Fame. In 2019, he was also recognized by Convenience Store News as “One of the 50 Most Influential People in C-Store History”. In 2015, Scott was awarded the AJC National Human Relations Award.
Rutter’s is the only U.S. based convenience store chain to win the coveted International Convenience Retailer of the Year awarded in London each year. Rutter’s has also been the U.S. chain of the year, has been the industry Food Innovator of the Year winner 3 of the last 10 years, was ranked one of the 500 best mid-sized employers to work for by Forbes in 2021, has ranked #1, #1, #3, #2, #1 nationally for customer mystery shop experience the last 5 years by an independent survey company and was ranked the #4 gasoline brand in the U.S. in 2022 by the USA Today customer poll.
Scott resides in York, Pennsylvania with his wife, Cathy, and has two adult children, Sara who teaches public school in Brooklyn, NY and Christopher, who is Sr. Director of Fuels and Forecourt at Rutter’s.
Scott loves playing golf and has played 131 of Golf Magazine’s Top 100 Courses in the World. There are 204 courses that have ever been listed on the Golf Magazine list. He and his son, Chris, have played 122 of the top 100 courses together and 91 from the 2009 list. No parent/child has ever played one of the year’s list together.
Joseph Hamza
Joe Hamza, COO
Nouria Energy
Joe Hamza is a seasoned convenience and fuel retail executive with over 30 years of leadership experience. He currently serves as Chief Operating Officer at Nouria Energy, where he has been instrumental in driving the company’s multi-regional expansion, operational excellence, and brand evolution since joining in 2015. Under his leadership, Nouria has emerged as one of the most recognized and respected brands in the industry, known for its customer experience, innovation, and people-first culture.
Before joining Nouria, Joe was Vice President of Sales and Marketing at Tedeschi Food Shops. There, he led the company’s retail and foodservice divisions and spearheaded innovative sales and branding strategies that helped position the brand as a regional leader.
Joe’s influence in the industry extends beyond his executive roles. He has contributed to a wide range of industry and non-industry publications and is a frequent speaker at NACS events and government forums on key issues impacting the convenience, fuel, and foodservice sectors. He previously chaired the Education Committee for NACS and has served in advisory roles with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), NACS-United Fresh, and Kraft Foods.
He currently serves on the Boards of Directors for the New England Convenience Store & Energy Marketer Association (NECSEMA) and the National Advisory Group (NAG), where he continues to advocate for the advancement of the convenience and energy sectors.
Frank Gleeson
Frank Gleeson, President and CEO
NACS
Highly experienced international business leader, CEO, Chairman and Board Level Senior Executive. A proven track record in driving outstanding performance for both turnaround and growth strategies within complex and high-paced organizations.
Strategic leader and entrepreneur with a successful background in building and leading top performing teams focused on exceeding goals in the key areas of sales, marketing and sector/product development.