CTVG ALLY SUPPORTERS
A Data Blueprint for C-Store IT Leaders
Wells Burke, co-founder & CEO of CodeVine, and Jeffrey Campbell, director of data science at Blend 360, opened their presentation, “Data Makes What is Impossible Today, Possible Tomorrow,” by framing the c-store data challenge around two persistent problems: data that exists but that operators cannot freely explore, and signals hiding in plain sight that have not yet been activated as usable data. Burke issued a direct challenge to conventional IT thinking, noting that data access has historically been filtered through custom reports and IT gatekeepers. He believes the new standard must be unrestricted access to any data an authorized user is permitted to see. “It’s time to let anyone run any query they want, whenever they want, on any data they are authorized to see,” Burke said. “Whoever, whatever, whenever. That’s the new goalpost.”
“As the industry talks more about operational intelligence, customer engagement, retail media, and AI, the reality is that none of those things work particularly well without disciplined approaches to data management, integration, organizational alignment, and contextual understanding of the information.”
“Don’t change any business priorities after two hours of exploration. You need to get a little bit familiar with Claude’s personality. The opportunity for tremendous insights is there. The opportunity for it to generate charts and graphs and things on demand is absolutely there. But let’s look for discoveries, look for these conclusions, and then there does need to be a validation and vetting of that. The number one thing you’re going to see if you give this power to your business users is that there is a lot of tribal knowledge about the dirtiness of data, and they might trip over some of that.”
Campbell also drew a correlation between generative AI and traditional machine learning, noting that both depend on the same foundation of clean, consistently governed data. The presentation closed with a three-step sequencing framework moving from queryable data to structured machine learning to retail media monetization, and with a straightforward leadership charge to not skip the foundational work. Building metadata, establishing a source of truth, and declaring data ownership are not IT housekeeping tasks, both speakers emphasized. They are the infrastructure on which every future business capability will be built.
The Shift from Managing Data to Using It
CTVG members and guests jumped into a robust discussion, opening with Collupy drawing a thread back to the group’s March conversation on integration. What had changed, he observed, was the lens. The industry had spent years focused on collecting data, connecting systems, and building reports. The question now is whether organizations can move from access to action, and from interesting observations to repeatable operational capability. He framed two parallel challenges: how to make data exploration easier for people throughout the organization and how to create enough trust and consistency that discoveries become embedded in how the business actually runs.
“Don’t skip the boring parts. Build the metadata, do the things that we just talked about, and in short, eat your vegetables because they’re good for you.”
Looking Back Through the Data Lens
At the beginning of the June CTVG meeting, Facilitator Ed Collupy connected the current conversation to topics from the March CTVG quarterly virtual meeting, noting that underneath nearly every integration challenge the group had discussed was, at its core, a conversation about data and information. The March discussion had produced a few observations that were carried forward. “Integration is increasingly becoming less about simply connecting systems together, and more about whether companies can create usable, trusted, timely information across the organization,” he said. “In many ways, integration is becoming the plumbing, but data is the strategic asset moving through it.”
Revisiting March’s topics briefly, Collupy asked those present at that meeting to reflect. Erin Graziosi described an environment at Robinson Oil with no shortage of reports or data, but a challenge in making that information digestible enough to drive clear action. Roy Austin echoed that subtraction remains the goal at Graham Enterprise, Inc, noting that the bigger problem at his organization is ensuring that high-level data requests get appropriately filtered before reaching district managers rather than simply passing too much information down the chain. Bill Ridge observed that for his team at Eastern Petroleum Corporation, success in automation came less from the automation itself and more from having underlying processes already in place, noting that the real need is connecting those processes, not necessarily the data.
Embracing AI in the Real IT World
Several retailers described active experiments already underway. Bill Ridge, VP of technology at Eastern Petroleum Corporation, noted that his team had connected five years of transactional data and that employees who started playing with AI were using it for real work within two days. Jhaddaka (JD) Leverette, Prince Oil’s IT manager, described “out of this world reports” using a platform called Taiga to pull POS data as well as Claude and expressed significant anticipation about what a direct PDI connection might unlock. Friendly Express, Inc.’s Director of Enterprise IT Amy Wood noted that without the budget to partner with multiple data vendors, her team had been exporting PDI’s Market Basket data (now renamed Insights and Analytics by PDI) and running it through Claude and ChatGPT, surfacing promotional and labor insights quickly, including basket-pairing opportunities that left the team wondering why they had not acted on them sooner.
Steve Morris, owner/president of Retail Management Inc., accidentally discovered a developer talent in a store manager, ultimately leading to that manager’s promotion. He logged into the company portal and found that manager had independently spent about 60 hours rebuilding data analysis tools using AI, producing something far more capable than what the company had paid a “significant amount of money developing.” Rather than a reprimand, Morris said he promoted that manager to a developer. On the vendor side, Susana Klotz, SVP of North America sales for Upshop, described her company’s orientation as one of radical openness, noting that a customer had recently used Claude along with Upshop’s own-label solution in a way the company had not anticipated, and her instinct was to find out more, not to restrict it. She said: “Software should become headless. I don’t see a future where we’ll be interacting with different point solutions It will be a future where our solution provides you with the data organized in very structured ways, and we’ll help you with the analytics.”
AI Prompting Best Practices
Nick Wignall, director of strategic accounts at Upside, drew on his team’s experience pulling insights from data to flag that not all AI tools perform equally, with Claude emerging as the clear frontrunner, and prompt quality driving output quality. For instance, a fuel volume query to AI that fails to specify same-store conditions, he noted, can return an entirely different answer if asked in a different way. Burke responded that “What you’re saying is one million percent true.” Most people begin too task-specific, he said. “Tell Claude what you’re trying to do and why you’re trying to do it. Don’t try to tell it how to do it.” The more effective approach is to tell Claude what you are trying to accomplish and why, then let it work out the how. In his presentation, he also cautioned not to rush to make any policy changes after a few hours of playing with AI, instead getting familiar with AI answers, and rationalizing what makes sense.
“What I heard today is the conversation is increasingly shifting from managing information to using information, from access to action.”
Data Quality, the Semantic Layer, and Hallucinations
“My experience is that hallucinations often happen more in the realm of real-world knowledge and less in terms of data analysis and hallucinations can often happen more when there’s not full context supplied or it’s having a guess because it hasn’t gotten all the relevant information that it needs. And I think…people who do this best don’t just accept the answer, they challenge it. And challenging the answer doesn’t necessarily mean you have to go and do your own web search and figure out if that thing is right or that you have to pull out some other source of record. A lot of times, it’s challenging the LLM…and by and large, when I do that, the LLM or Claude or whomever will come back and say, ‘all right, you got me,’ and so that to me has been pretty powerful.”
Ridge raised an extension of Campbell’s semantic layer concept that applied beyond internal data, observing that optimizing a company’s public web presence for AI discovery now requires structured, machine-readable data in a way that is fundamentally different from traditional search engine optimization. He suggested that websites should now be prioritized for AI optimization over SEO.
Several members raised valid concerns about the accuracy of AI, or as Roy Strasburger, CEO of StrasGlobal, president of Compliance Safe, and VGN co-founder, asked what do “we need to watch out for to make sure nothing goes off the rails or there’s a negative impact.” Additionally, on hallucinations (when an AI LLM generates false, misleading, or completely fabricated information that sounds highly confident and plausible), Rance Wells, vice president of IT at Toot’n Totum Food Stores LLC, asked whether retailers could trust AI-generated outputs enough to consolidate multiple vendor data streams. Burke drew a useful distinction in his experience, that AI does not invent data when querying structured sources. What it struggles with is context-free comparisons where no benchmark has been supplied. Campbell reinforced that point and recommended a practice of questioning AI answers, noting that when he challenges Claude on an unexpected number and asks it to walk through the source, it sometimes self-corrects. Roy Austin, director of information technology at Graham Enterprise, Inc., added a related data quality note, observing that T-log data pulled directly to a data lake proved far more reliable than PDI Market Basket reports for his organization. Wells summarized that Austin’s “T-logs are [his] source of truth, not the PDI data,” and confirming that Verifone also has the ability to fetch T-logs through an API.
Security, Risk, and Where to Draw the Line
Raymond Huff, president of HJB Convenience Corp, raised the question of whether connecting data to an AI tool makes that data public. Burke explained that the meaningful distinction is not public versus private but whether the user holds a consumer or commercial license, with the latter carrying a no-training commitment from the provider. Wells pressed further on PII (Personal Identifiable Information) and loyalty data specifically and what should or should not be input into AI. Burke’s guidance was pragmatic: anonymized transactional data presents little concern, PII warrants caution, and organizations with genuine security requirements can route access through AWS Bedrock as a no-train, data-bastioned option before investing in more complex corporate proxy infrastructure. Steve Evans, chief technology officer at Haffner’s, captured the organizational tension well, acknowledging a deep security concern while simultaneously describing his own “June side hustle” of connecting an extracted Market Basket dataset to Claude Desktop to see what he could learn. Erin Graziosi, president of Robinson Oil, said it is her summer project, as well, to dig into the AI possibilities.
Organizational Readiness: Where to Start and How to Scale
Myra Kressner, CEO of Kressner Strategy Group and VGN co-founder, asked about training and communication to get team members ready or encourage AI usage. Evans spoke to the practical challenge of scale and adoption within a larger organization, noting that he cannot get some business analysts to use AI tools properly, which makes a broader rollout feel overwhelming. His approach is to start with trusted power users, crawl toward broader access, and think carefully about what hierarchy of information different roles actually need. Klotz offered a practical suggestion for any operator wondering where to start: “you probably already have somebody out there who’s already figured out what they want and maybe try that out with them.”
“We’d rather jump into the water with a shark cage than just jump in with the sharks. That’s us, but I don’t know if that’s a good analogy or not.”
The Future of Humans in the Workplace
Collupy closed by asking whether the group had moved past the fear of job displacement toward a more grounded view of AI as a tool that still requires human judgment. Campbell noted that business context and operational knowledge remain the hardest things for AI to replicate and that the real opportunity is using AI to amplify what you already know. Burke added an edge of urgency arguing that business knowledge alone is not enough if a competitor is becoming a faster, more expert AI user. “If you’re not first, you’re last,” he said. Rance Wells closed jokingly that the robots cleaning bathrooms may arrive sooner than expected, referencing, “Optimus is coming. Elon’s working on them. The robots are coming.”
Final Reflection
The convenience retail industry is at an inflection point with data and AI, where the challenge is no longer simply accessing information but building the disciplined foundations that make that information trustworthy, actionable, and scalable. Clean data governance, semantic layers, and clearly defined sources of truth are not optional groundwork to be deferred in favor of more visible AI initiatives. Retailers who treat foundational data work and AI fluency as complementary imperatives rather than separate tracks, are best positioned to turn signals into systems and observations into lasting operational capability.
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Presentation (PDF)
KEY TAKEAWAYS
- The core data challenge is not a shortage of information but a failure to make that information freely explorable and operationally actionable across the organization.
- Unrestricted data access for any authorized user, at any time, on any query, represents the new standard that operators must work toward, replacing legacy models filtered through IT gatekeepers and custom reports.
- The semantic layer, which defines what each data field means, how metrics are calculated, and which source is authoritative, is the foundational infrastructure on which AI, machine learning, and retail media monetization must be built.
- Generative AI and traditional machine learning depend on the same foundation of clean, consistently governed data with clearly declared ownership and a defined source of truth.
- Retailers experimenting with AI are seeing rapid, real-world results with minimal ramp time, including surfacing promotional, labor, and basket-pairing insights from data they already owned but had not fully utilized.
- Prompt quality drives output quality, and the most effective approach is to tell an AI tool what you are trying to accomplish and why, rather than prescribing how to complete the task.
- AI does not typically invent data when querying structured sources; hallucinations are more likely when context is missing, and challenging unexpected outputs directly within the AI tool often leads it to self-correction.
- Organizations connecting data to AI tools should understand the meaningful distinction between consumer and commercial licenses, with commercial agreements carrying explicit no-training commitments that protect proprietary data.
- Business context and operational knowledge remain the hardest capabilities for AI to replicate, making human expertise a competitive differentiator.
Contact info@vgnsharing.com if you’d like the meeting transcript.
Notable and Quotable
“Sometimes there’s no signal. Sometimes there’s a signal buried in the noise. And sometimes there’s a signal waiting to be discovered because nobody has thought to ask the question yet. The organizations that learn to consistently find, validate, and act on those signals may be the ones that create the next wave of competitive advantage.”
“The most valuable thing you might see out of this is when you see some of your store employees start using a tool and asking a question. I think that’s fantastic because we don’t know what they might be looking for, what they might find out from a solution like this.”
“We’ve recently decided to redo all of our websites because the most important visitor to your website is going to be the robot looking at“
“How do you take so much data – it’s almost overwhelming in a sense – and pare it down and make it super digestible and super actionable?”
“We have a lot of the data already and a lot of the processes. They just aren’t tied together and need to find a way to make them work together. Not necessarily integration of the data, it’s actually the process.”
“We have just started using Claude a lot in the last couple of weeks. And it has been producing some out of this world reports for us and getting forms and all kinds of data driven things that we are just plugging in.”
“We don’t have the resources all the time to devote to look at all the data, but we also don’t have the finances to partner with all of these companies that are trying to help you with your data. So, we’re excited about that.”
CTVG Members
Luis Ackerman, Vice President of Technology
The Spinx Company
Luis Ackerman is the Vice President of Technology at The Spinx Company and has been a key member of the executive leadership team since 2017. With a focus on aligning technology with business objectives, he has led initiatives that improve operational efficiency, enhance security, and elevate the customer experience. By developing a structured technology roadmap, Luis has streamlined workflows, reduced costs by expanding in-house capabilities, and leveraged automation to optimize retail operations.
A strong advocate for cybersecurity and data-driven decision-making, Luis has assembled a world-class security posture by integrating best-in-class solutions and fostering a security-first culture. Under his leadership, Spinx is developing a next-generation data modernization strategy, that will provide advanced analytics and insights to drive smarter business decisions. His strategic vision ensures that technology remains a competitive advantage, delivering measurable value across the organization.
Before joining Spinx, Luis spent 12 years as a managing partner and customer CTO, helping businesses across industries—including medical, retail, manufacturing, distribution, consulting, e-commerce, and entertainment—transform their IT landscapes. Luis holds a degree in Computer Science, along with multiple technical certifications, and continues to expand his expertise through executive leadership training and specialized technology programs. He is committed to driving innovation through technology and believes it is essential for any business to grow and maintain long-term success.
Outside of work, Luis enjoys spending time with his wife, kids, and friends. A passionate sports fan, he loves watching and playing whenever he gets the chance. He also has a deep appreciation for cars, music, and cooking.
Kristina Anderson, Chief Service Officer
Midwest Petroleum Company
Kristina manages the Human Resources, Training and Development, Maintenance, Construction, Petroleum Construction, transportation and IT Departments for Midwest Petroleum Company.
Roy Austin, Director, Director, Information Technology
Graham Enterprise, Inc.
Roy Austin, IT Director for Graham Enterprise, Inc., is responsible for Technology applications & operations in the organization’s Corporate and Retail business units.
Graham Enterprise, Inc. was in the midst of a major rebranding campaign of their legacy convenience store and car wash brands to the newly create Trio brand when Roy joined the team, which was an intriguing challenge to jump right in the middle of. The campaign has a focus on unified branding, a great new food service program including fresh and take-and-bake pizza, tunnel car washes and of course, the fantastic customer service that the Graham family is known for.
Prior to joining Graham Enterprise, Inc. in November of 2024, Roy was Director of IT Solution Delivery for Global Retail at Calgary, Alberta-based Parkland Corporation and was responsible for POS and BOS applications across Parkland’s vast estate of retail locations in 27 countries.
Roy worked in various roles for Kroger’s Technology division for over 20 years. During those years, he supported their various convenience store chains which were sold to EG Group in 2018.
With the EG Group acquisition of Kroger’s convenience store assets, he was named Head of Applications for the newly formed EG America. Roy was responsible for helping to lead the technological decoupling efforts from Kroger’s systems, as well as integrating EG Group’s other acquisitions (from 800 to 1200 stores) before departing in 2020.
His experiences in convenience store technologies are:
- Retail POS Deployment/Support – NCR RPOS, Gilbarco Passport, Verifone Commander, Bulloch, Artisoft POS, RapidRMS
- QSR POS Deployment/Support – NCR RPOS/Aloha/KPS, Subway, Charleys Philly Steaks, Dairy Queen, Taco Bell, Arby’s, Burger King
- Major Oil Brand Integrations – BP, Shell, ExxonMobil, ConocoPhillips, Sinclair, Cenex, Arco, Marathon, Valero, Chevron
- Loyalty – PDI Excentus, P97, KRS/Ignite Retail Technology, Artisoft SpeedPay, Major Oil Proprietary
- Mobile – P97, Zipline, Photon, Artisoft
- ERP Systems – PDI Enterprise & Envoy, SSCS, Dynamics GP, Eurodata
Jeffrey Carpenter, Director
Cliff's Local Market
Starting his career in the convenience store industry, Carpenter joined the well-known Nice N Easy Grocery Shoppes team, after graduating high school in 2005, while earning both his Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees at Syracuse University. Carpenter went on to teach publicly at a high-ranking ‘Newsweek School’ while still working with Nice N Easy, but after two years found his niche as Director of Education and Training with the well-known c-store brand.
During Carpenter’s time at Nice N Easy he grew into the role of Senior Director of Program Development overseeing multiple areas of the business. Nice N Easy was acquired by CST Brands in 2014 and Carpenter continued with the training and development team. When CST was acquired in 2017, he sustained his employment as Training Manager in the Great Lakes Business Unit of Circle K. Upon an opportunity to apply his expertise and remain local with Cliff’s Local Market in 2018, Carpenter gladly accepted a senior-level position where he has helped evolve the NY-based chain with 400+ employees.
A natural leader with a passion for his community, Jeff has also served as Trustee, as well as Deputy Mayor, in his local area. Carpenter is married and has two children.
Jason Collins, Director of IT
Englefield Oil Company
Steve Evans, Chief Technology Officer
Haffner's Energy North Group
A business-focused technology leader with 20 years’ experience in Fortune 200 engineering and oil and gas companies, Steve Evans serves as the Chief Technology Officer for Energy North and Haffner's, responsible for all technology services across its five business entities. From the phones, computers and ERP systems in the offices to the handheld devices in the convenience stores to the dispatch software used by the delivery drivers, Steve and his team ensure that technology services are strong, secure and seamless.
Janeth Falcon, VP North America Technology
Circle K
Tyler Grubbs, VP of Retail and Digital Technologies
RaceTrac, Inc.
Tyler Grubbs is currently serving as the VP of Retail and Digital Technologies where he has accountability for all the technology across the convenience store locations for the RaceTrac, RaceWay & Gulf brands. Additionally, he his teams lead efforts around web, mobile and loyalty applications across these brands. Tyler is a process focused leader with a pension for finding creative solutions to complex problems across the business through building & developing high performing teams. He has spent most of his career at RaceTrac, Inc. serving in multiple roles over the last 14 years across departments like: Project Management, Finance, Analytics & Food Programs. He holds a degrees from Georgia Institute of Technology in Finance as well as an MBA from Emory University with a concentration in Management Consulting & Analytics. Tyler was recently recognized as a 40 Under 40 by CSDecisions, RIS Top Retail Mover & Shaker, and Emerging Leader by Atlanta Technology Professionals.
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.
Sharif Jamal, Dir of Real Estate & Brand Development
Chestnut Market
Jhaddaka (JD) Leverette, I.T. Manager
PRINCE OIL
I am an IT Manager/Retail Analyst in the oil and gas industry, with over 25 years of retail operations knowledge and 15 years of experience driving digital transformation, business continuity, and operational efficiency through technology. I have strategic insight and leadership in data integration and system optimization.
Beyond my corporate role, I am the founder of Blu3tech Consulting, where I support businesses in adopting secure and scalable tech solutions. I am also a passionate advocate for youth development and STEM education, dedicating time to community mentorship and nonprofit initiatives.
Brad Miller, Senior Director of IT
Coen Markets
With a career in technology spanning thirty years, Brad has worked in technology retail, as a Project Manager, .NET developer and Network Administrator for a software company in the field of Health Care, an Infrastructure Specialist in the state government sector, and has spent the last thirteen years working in the C-store space, first as Director of Technology for Par Mar Stores and since 2017 as the Senior Director of Technology for Coen Markets. Brad resides in Canonsburg, PA with his wife of thirty years (and their two cats) and can be reached at bmiller@coen1923.com.
Steve Morris, President
Retail Management, Inc (RMI)
Steve Morris is the President & Owner of Retail Management Inc., a retail management & marketing services provider for retailers nationwide and is an elected member of the City Council for Woodbury, MN.
Steve has served in leadership roles for over 25 years within convenience and retail sectors. He served as Director of Marketing & Merchandising for SuperAmerica stores & Speedway, where he continued the work of brand development and management and as Director of Operations Strategy and Planning, where he held oversight and responsibility for the Twin Cities and Minnesota markets for retail operations.
Steve was elected in 2018 and re-elected in 2022 as Councilmember for the City of Woodbury having served previously on the Planning Commission, and currently serves on the Economic Development Authority and Housing & Redevelopment Authority for the city.
Steve supports numerous organizations and serves on the Board of Directors for several organizations including: "Majority in the Middle", a 501c3 dedicated to lowering the temperature of politics and finding common ground to serve the people of Minnesota, as well, "Metro Cities", a coalition of Twin Cities metropolitan area communities working and lobbying the state capital on behalf of individual cities, counties and townships; "The United Heroes League", a non-profit military family support organization; and the "Woodbury Police K-9 Foundation", supporting the K9 program development and support for the city of Woodbury Minnesota.
Steve and his husband Justin live in Woodbury with their two dogs and enjoy softball, concert-going and walking the miles of trails in their community.
Nick Peters, VP - IT
Campbell Oil Company
I am an IT professional with over 20 years experience in the convenience retail field. Starting off my career in operations, I then converted over to the IT side of the industry over 15 years ago.
As a strong believer in technology, I have always been forward-thinking as it comes to the application and practicality of new capabilities. I’m also a supporter of industry collaboration and standardization in an effort to assist with the adoption of new technologies.
Anthony Raimato, Store Technology Engineering Lead
Wawa Inc
Anthony Raimato has been with Wawa for 13 years and spent most of his time working with POS systems in all aspects from support to engineering deployments and enhancements. Anthony has spent time working with partners for settlement, mobile integrations, ordering applications, and operations partners to simplify store operations and provide new customer features into stores.
While Anthony is proud of the work his team has performed historically, he is most excited about the future of convenience store technology and how technology can further enhance customer and associate experience within stores.
Donnie Rhoads, Director of Business Development
The Convenience Group, LLC
Donnie Rhoads is Director of Business Development at The Convenience Group, LLC. Based in Southwest Washington, TCG is a collection of community stores that both reflect and serve their individual neighborhoods.
Donnie works to streamline store operations and oversee initiatives for growth, especially when it comes to the implementation of new technology. He is also an avid Seahawks fan and loves to cook.
Bill Ridge
Eastern Petroleum Corporation
Emily Sheetz, EVP Strategy & IT
Sheetz Inc.
Emily is the Executive Vice President of Strategy and IT at Sheetz and is responsible for the development of and execution of company strategy, information technology and business insights. Emily is a third-generation family member and one of fifteen active in the business. Emily grew the functions of strategy, innovation and business insights since 2017. She previously held the title of the Director of Talent Development, responsible for all training and leadership development across the company. Emily participated in a leadership rotation program within the company and has held positions in Real Estate, Human Resources, Operations, Store Development and Information Technology. She helped to launch the Sheetz Cafe project. She has also served on the Sheetz Family Council.
Prior to rejoining Sheetz, Emily helped to found Knightsbridge Schools International, a private, for-profit K-12 school in London, an affiliate of Knightsbridge School. She spent five years heading up business development and finance and helped to open schools in Turkey, Montenegro, Columbia and Panama. Emily previously worked for three years at Deutsche Bank in New York in Debt Capital Markets and for a year at Huron Consulting Group. She also has spent time at Sheetz since the age of fifteen, working various functions in marketing, finance and as a salesperson over the years.
Emily holds an MBA from Columbia Business School and her BS in Economics from The Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania. She lives in Pittsburgh, PA with her husband Justin and their three children, Felix, Lila and Naomi.
Established in 1952 in Altoona, Pennsylvania, Sheetz, Inc. is one of America's fastest-growing, family-owned and operated convenience store chains, with more than $6.4 billion in revenue and more than 18,200 employees. The company operates more than 580 store locations throughout Pennsylvania, West Virginia, Virginia, Maryland, Ohio and North Carolina. Sheetz provides an award-winning menu of M•T•O® sandwiches and salads, which are ordered through unique touch-screen order point terminals. All Sheetz convenience stores are open 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. Recognized by Fortune as one of the 100 Best Companies to Work For, Best Places to Work for Women, Best Workplaces for Millennials and by Forbes as one of America’s Best Employers, Sheetz is committed to offering employees sustainable careers built on an inspiring culture and community engagement. For more information, visit www.sheetz.com or follow us on Twitter (@sheetz), Facebook (www.facebook.com/sheetz) and Instagram (www.instagram.com/sheetz).
Scott Smith, Sr Director of IT
Parker’s
At Parker’s, Smith leads the company in all aspects of technology, including the company’s round-up for charity technology, self-checkout systems, cloud infrastructure, servers, and the efficiency of payment systems, which process more than 125,000 transactions per day. He also ensures that the Parker’s Rewards app is up-to-date and efficiently serving the loyalty program’s 300,000+ members.
Before joining Parker’s in 2021, Smith worked as the Director of Information Technology at convenience and fuel retailer Royal Farms in Baltimore, Md., where he led the IT department’s security, infrastructure, and retail operations initiatives for hundreds of stores across multiple states.
Earlier this year, Smith was named a “Future Leader in Convenience” by Convenience Store He is news for his impressive professional achievements and currently resides in Savannah, Ga.
Rance Wells, VP of IT
Toot’n Totum
Rance Wells is the Vice President of IT for Toot ‘n Totum Food Stores LLC. Toot ‘n Totum has enjoyed much growth over the last several years as one of the largest privately owned employers in the Amarillo area. The company, founded in 1950, consists of 87 convenience stores, 8 full service car washes, 11 car care centers, 6 Wendy’s Quick Service Restaurants, 3 Mitch’s Texas Style BBQ Quick Service Restaurants, and 2 Which Wich Sandwich shops with a Team Member count of over 1,300. Toot’n Totum has 63 locations in Amarillo, Texas and has expanded to 24 other locations in the Kansas, New Mexico, Oklahoma, and other towns in the Texas Panhandle.
A 2005 graduate of West Texas A&M University with a Bachelor of Science degree, Rance began his career with Toot ‘n Totum in 2001 as a store Team Member, working his way through college. He moved out of the stores and joined the IT Support Team from 2006 – 2013. Rance took over as Director of IT in 2013 and promoted to Vice President in 2022. His experience has given him a unique perspective when it comes to end user experience, speed of service, and directly engaging guests.
With 16 years of IT technology and petroleum retailing experience, he has been a part of expanding the company outside Amarillo, increasing the company’s security, and improving the technology processes for Toot ’n Totum.
He is excited to be working at such a pivotal time for the company during their expansion south of Amarillo. Rance serves on the Executive Board for Toot ‘n Totum, Verifone Petroleum Advisory Council, Acumera Client Advisory Board, and is a member of Conexxus. Other areas of interest include PCI Compliance, Data Security, Point to Point Encryption (P2PE), Internet of Things, Smart Safes, Surveillance Systems, Blockchain/Cryptocurrency, AI Applications in business, self-checkout systems, Cloud Hosting, automation, and any other technology that can help his company succeed.
Rance has been married to love of his life, Megan, for 13 years. They enjoy every minute raising their 5-year-old son Tripp. They enjoy hunting, fishing, camping, music, soccer, hockey, gardening, cooking, training their field bred Golden Retriever Poppy, and attending church with their friends and family.
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Nicolas Wignall, Director of Strategic Accounts
Upside
Nick Wignall is the Director of Strategic Accounts at Upside, a digital marketplace transforming how brick-and-mortar retailers drive measurable profit. With four years at Upside and over a decade of leadership in the consumer goods and energy sectors, Nick specializes in turning complex retail challenges into scalable growth opportunities.
Prior to joining Upside, Nick spent 10 years at Altria in various leadership capacities, including Southeast Region Manager for Industry Engagement. This background in sales analysis, team leadership, and industry advocacy allows him to navigate the intricate needs of enterprise stakeholders with a data-driven, merchant-centric perspective. Nick holds a Bachelor's degree in Marketing from Iowa State and an MBA from Tennessee Tech. Nick has previously served on the Board of Directors at other CPG associations throughout the Southeast; including Florida Association of Wholesale Distributors (FAWD), Georgia Association of Convenience Stores (GACS) and Alabama Wholesale Distributors Association (AWDA).[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]
Amy Wood, Director of Enterprise IT
Friendly Express, Inc.
Amy Wood is the Director of Enterprise IT at Friendly Express, a locally owned convenience store chain headquartered in Waycross, Georgia. With 38 locations across Southeast Georgia, Friendly Express is known for its commitment to fast, friendly service, quality food offerings, and embracing technology to enhance the customer experience.
Amy brings over 25 years of experience in retail technology and operations, previously serving in leadership roles at Flash Foods and Gate Petroleum. She holds a degree in Computer Science from Mercer University and was recognized as one of Convenience Store News’ 2025 Top Women in Convenience.
She enjoys spending time with her family and cheering on the GA Bulldogs and the Atlanta Braves! Go DAWGS! Go BRAVES!
With 16 years of IT technology and petroleum retailing experience, he has been a part of expanding the company outside Amarillo, increasing the company’s security, and improving the technology processes for Toot ’n Totum.
He is excited to be working at such a pivotal time for the company during their expansion south of Amarillo. Rance serves on the Executive Board for Toot ‘n Totum, Verifone Petroleum Advisory Council, Acumera Client Advisory Board, and is a member of Conexxus. Other areas of interest include PCI Compliance, Data Security, Point to Point Encryption (P2PE), Internet of Things, Smart Safes, Surveillance Systems, Blockchain/Cryptocurrency, AI Applications in business, self-checkout systems, Cloud Hosting, automation, and any other technology that can help his company succeed.
Rance has been married to love of his life, Megan, for 13 years. They enjoy every minute raising their 5-year-old son Tripp. They enjoy hunting, fishing, camping, music, soccer, hockey, gardening, cooking, training their field bred Golden Retriever Poppy, and attending church with their friends and family.
CTVG Facilitator
Ed Collupy, Principal
Collupy System Solutions LLC
Ed has more than 40 years of retail systems experience in the convenience/petro (The Pantry) and grocery (Purity Supreme & Shaw’s) retail channels, including as a consultant at W. Capra Consulting Group providing strategic, operational, and project leadership to retailers, emerging businesses, and technology companies. His involvement in the industry continues as a Facilitator for various groups and as an independent consultant through Collupy System Solutions. He has served the Convenience/Petro industry as Chairman of the Board of Advisors of Conexxus and as a member of the NACS Convention Content Committee. Ed writes for trade publications, leads, and participates in on-line and in-person forums focused on retail technology. A New Englander at heart, he graduated from Suffolk University in Boston, attended Harvard’s Executive Education session, Delivering Information Services, and now living on Cape Cod he is very active in the community serving on various boards and committees.
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