CLVG ALLY SUPPORTERS
Oh, SNAP: Changes and Challenges Immediately Impacting Retailers
The SNAP program is undergoing unprecedented changes under the second Trump administration, creating significant challenges for the convenience stores that serve as a critical grocery access point for low-income Americans. With 118,317 convenience stores representing 45% of all SNAP retailers, the industry plays a unique role in the program, given their 24-hour operations and their locations – particularly in urban and rural areas where grocery stores may be forty plus miles away.
“No two states are alike in how they’re defining the words candy or sugar, sweetened beverages, soft drinks, or soda. It’s all completely different.”
The proposed stocking requirements present another existential threat. The new rules require seven varieties in four food groups instead of the three varieties required in the past. The variety requirement makes compliance incredibly difficult for small-format stores and Mannion speculates thousands of convenience stores may be forced out of the program.
Hal Adams, former managing director at Oxxo USA, expanded on the commonly cited statistic that SNAP transactions make up 5% of convenience store sales, noting that “if you take alcohol and tobacco out of your sales, that number doubles,” emphasizing how important SNAP is to a retailer’s bottom line. Drew Dickerson, director of distribution at On Cue, described Oklahoma’s 18,000 item list of approved products, therefore requiring item-level rather than subcategory-level compliance. Joe Hamza, chief operating officer at Nouria, noted the need for vast changes to merchandise mix. Additionally, James Hervey, head of petro at Verifone, pointed out the onerous burden on technology infrastructure to identify and track approved items.
The new and confusing requirements threaten program participation. Jonathan Polonsky, CEO at Plaid Pantry, and Mark Samuels, executive vice president of convenience retailing at Dash In/The Wills Group, both shared that this may mean their companies will exit the program. Joris van Brussel, CEO Shell Mobility and Convenience USA, likewise expressed concern about continued participation, noting that with reduced participation, fewer stores nationally will accept SNAP benefits. He also worried about adding friction to the sales process, given current aggressive customer behavior. Laura Aufleger, president at On Cue, recalled actual tears at the office when facing the January 1st deadline. Mannion validated these fears, acknowledging the friction introduced at checkout by customers wanting to buy unapproved items will likely escalate the number of confrontations in an already volatile environment. Roy Strasburger made the final point that not participating in the SNAP program will have a substantial impact on a retailer’s sales since potential SNAP customers would now go to another store and take their ancillary non-SNAP purchases with them.
Margaret Mannion Video Presentation
Margaret Mannion Presentation (PDF)
Digital Twinning
Brady Brim-DeForest, who owns a convenience store in Maine, among other businesses, introduced Secundo, a company that he founded that is building “high fidelity cognitive twins that augment human decision making and execution.” Brim-DeForest explained that while most AI investment delivers only incremental improvements, Secundo aims to create a transformative technology reimagining how businesses operate.
Cognitive twins, which he also calls secundos, are digital models of a person (known as a “prime”) that accesses that person’s complete digital footprint – emails, social media, messaging, and desktop activity – coupled with AI autonomy and authority to act on their behalf. Brim-DeForest described how the technology works in practice: “While I’m giving this talk, my secundo is also in a planning meeting with several of my direct reports working to solve problems and reach consensus around very specific decisions.” He noted he was monitoring a real-time feed to guide his secundo while he was making his presentation to CLVG.
“Being able to build a version of yourself today, which feels rudimentary compared to where we’ll be in 10 years, that has the ability to provide you with 24/7 horizontal scale that can act on your objectives and your plans in real time simultaneously across multiple channels is really, really breathtaking when you actually experience it.”
Secundo has deployed cognitive twins in test pilots, operating in real-time organizational environments, across 80% of the Fortune 10 companies. Eva Strasburger, CEO of Compliance Safe, president of Strasglobal, and VGN co-founder, witnessed the impact firsthand in a previous interaction with Brim-DeForest, noting that Brim-DeForest had three of his secundos working simultaneously on other deals while he was in a face-to-face meeting with her. On a completely different subject, Joe Hamza, chief operating officer at Nouria, raised practical questions about quantum computing’s role and humorously questioned whether he was speaking with the real Brady or a secundo.
Myra Kressner, CEO of Kressner Strategy Group and co-founder of VGN, asked directly whether people should know if they are engaging with a secundo. Brim-DeForest admitted uncertainty, stating he is leaving it up to the users but hoping transparency is the path most will take. He acknowledged that there are significant ethical challenges with this model, particularly around transparency and consent. The company is assembling a board of ethicists and philosophers to address such questions as to whether people should always know when they are interacting with a cognitive twin rather than the actual person.
Adams questioned whether twins could be optimized to eliminate unwanted traits, asking if it is possible “to weed out the things I don’t like about myself.” Brim-DeForest said yes, given they are much smarter and quicker than their human self. When asked about the commercial rollout period, Brim-DeForest said it could be a year or two into the future.
Brim-DeForest asked the Ally Supporter members present to share their c-store focused AI solutions. George Martinez, head of business strategy at Aisle AI, explained their verticalized AI solution is designed specifically for independent operators. Using POS data and natural language search, the technology helps operators make decisions about category management and pricing. Martinez emphasized that the goal is to “make them a 10X force multiplier in productivity.” Mike Weber, CMO at Upshop, discussed the evolution from machine learning to agentic AI, describing how their system now provides recommendations to achieve specific goals. Upshop is a SaaS platform that helps food retailers streamline forecasting, ordering, production, and inventory optimization.
Brady Brim-DeForest Video Presentation
Brady Brim-DeForest Presentation (PDF)
Final Reflection
Convenience retail has always been a complex landscape, shaped by fragmented business units, layered technologies, and evolving regulatory demands. That complexity will persist in 2026, as murky regulatory issues such as changes to SNAP, collide with fast-moving innovations like digital twinning. While innovative technologies can help ease operational pressures, they also introduce a new set of challenges of their own. The discussions in this meeting underscored a central tension for industry leaders: managing near-term disruption while preparing for a much deeper technological transformation, with ethical considerations, just over the horizon.
KEY TAKEAWAYS
- Convenience stores are critical SNAP access points - With 118,317 stores representing 45% of all SNAP retailers, they serve low-income Americans in rural and urban areas where grocery stores may be 40+ miles away.
- Eighteen states now restrict SNAP purchases – 2026 state regulations limit items like soda, candy, and sugar-sweetened beverages, but definitions vary wildly between states, creating compliance chaos.
- Compliance costs are staggering - The convenience store industry faces an estimated $1 billion in upfront costs to implement the new SNAP restrictions.
- New stocking requirements may force mass exits - Proposed requirements for seven varieties instead of three in four food groups could push thousands of convenience stores out of the SNAP program entirely.
- SNAP program changes threaten food access for millions - Beyond business impacts, new SNAP restrictions jeopardize food security for low-income Americans who depend on nearby, always-open convenience stores.
- Opting out of the SNAP program can materially hurt convenience-store sales - While SNAP transactions account for roughly 5% of c-store revenue (and nearly double that if you take alcohol and tobacco out of your sales), the larger risk is losing SNAP shoppers entirely along with their ancillary, non-SNAP purchases to competing retailers.
- Digital twins strive for efficiency – Digital twins are digital models of a person that accesses their complete digital footprint – emails, social media, messaging, and desktop activity – coupled with autonomy and authority to act on their behalf. This means that the digital twin is making decisions in real time with third parties allowing a person, in essence, to be in two places at the same time.
- Digital twins are operating in real-time organizational environments - Secundo's technology is pilot testing in real-time organizational environments at 80% of Fortune 10 companies.
- Digital twins raise unresolved ethical questions - The technology's creators have not determined whether people should always know when they're interacting with a cognitive twin versus the actual person.
Contact info@vgnsharing.com if you’d like the meeting transcript.
Notable and Quotable
“When you’re focused on applying technology, you have to focus on making a better product. And if you don’t, all that energy and all that investment goes into delivering an experience, an outcome that doesn’t differentiate your customer experience.”
“I encourage everybody to go back to their business and look at their SNAP dollars, particularly if you do business in food desert areas or if you do business in urban areas that are far away from grocery stores, or in rural areas…It’s a pretty good chunk of business.”
“[The new SNAP guidelines are] going to force people to the big boxes [stores]…They are creating food deserts where there are not, where they don’t exist right now.”
“If you have a brilliant employee or someone who’s going to retire, who’s been instrumental to the company, you could make a secundo, or several secundos, from them which would stay on working in your company or go off to five or six other workplaces.”
“We don’t know exactly how this [the SNAP program] is going to impact us one way or the other. If they mandate us to carry all those different varieties, in certain cases, we may be out of the program. We don’t want to be…There’s really a lot of unknowns on how this is going to end up.”
“I work in our stores on a regular basis and the level of aggression that we deal with sometimes, it’s just unbelievable how aggressive certain customers already are…I’ve already witnessed some engagements that we would rather not have. I’m very concerned about that.”
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CLVG Members
Hal Adams, Former Director
OXXO USA
Throughout Hal’s 40 year career in the convenience and fuel retailing sector he has had Significant experience in all aspects of developing and operating best in class retailn organizations. Having started his retail career on the graveyard shift in a Stop n Go store in Ventura, California and subsequently assigned to various store and field management positions, he has kept an operator’s perspective throughout the years. After serving as the Chief Marketing Officer for Valero Energy’s retail holding company, he was key to taking that group to the public market in the spin to CST Brands and serving as President, Retail. Hal subsequently served as CEO for MAPCO Express.
Hal earned a BA degree in Business Economics at the University of California, Santa Barbara and an MBA with a concentration in Leadership at the University of Texas, San Antonio. He also completed the Stanford Executive Program at the Graduate School of Business of Stanford University.
He lives with his wife, Carolyn in San Antonio, Texas. Hal and Carolyn have two adult children and two granddogs, but are looking forward to being grandparents (to a human) for the first time this spring.
Laura Aufleger, President
OnCue
Laura Griffith Aufleger was born and raised in Stillwater. Laura started working in OnCue stores at 15. Laura graduated with a journalism degree from the University of Oklahoma with an emphasis in advertising and a Spanish Minor. Prior to returning to OnCue, she was a Vice President at Direct Development, a commercial real estate development company in Dallas. She also worked for Ackerman McQueen in OKC and The Richards Group in Dallas.
In recognition of her hard work locally and in the industry, Laura has received the Top Women in Convenience Award, the Journal Record’s Achievers Under 40, Convenience Store Decisions 40 Under 40 Leaders to Watch and more. She is also a graduate of Leadership Oklahoma Class 34 and a member of the OKC chapter of the Young Presidents’ Organization.
Laura's generosity and compassion for others has ushered OnCue into a new era of community engagement. In December of 2022, Laura led the way for OnCue’s record-breaking $1 million dollar donation to the Stillwater Medical Foundation. The funds brought to life the OnCue Neonatal Intensive Care Unit in Stillwater, which now provides critical care for newborns while helping families stay closer to home.
Laura is an advocate for Big Brothers Big Sisters, serving as a mentor for over a decade in the Stillwater, Norman, and Dallas communities, and served on the governing board for Big Brothers Big Sisters of Oklahoma. Laura currently serves on the Stillwater Medical Foundation Board of Directors. Laura is extremely active in her local schools, including being a member of the PTO and Homeroom Parent. Laura is also an active member of the National Association of Convenience Stores as well as the Pi Beta Phi Alumni Association, the OU Alumni Association, and Life Church Stillwater.
Laura and her husband have three children.
Y-Not Stop – St. Romain Oil
CFO/Co-CEO
Annie Gauthier is the CFO/Co-CEO at St. Romain Oil Company in Mansura, Louisiana. She is responsible for the company's finance and accounting, risk management, HR and strategic and culture development. A third-generation co-owner, she works with her 2 brothers, 2 uncles, 2 aunts, and 350 other team members to refuel & refresh the Louisiana communities where they operate.
Annie earned her BA in British history at LSU, then discovered that law school was not for her. She worked for the Louisiana Oil Marketers & Convenience Store Association (LOMCSA) for 3 years before joining the family business in 2005. She has served in various leadership roles with LOMCSA, culminating with President in 2017. Annie is also a founding member of Corporate Works of Mercy Foundation, a private 501(c)3 focused on helping neighbors in need by living the biblical corporal works of mercy. Her purpose is to chart tomorrow's course from yesterday's lessons.
Married to her high school sweetheart, Adam, and mother to 3 young children, Samuel, Ellen and Henry, Annie lives in her small hometown of Mansura. She enjoys cooking, reading, traveling and planning trips (especially to Britain, Ireland and France).
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.
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.
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.
George Martinez, Head of Business Strategy
AisleAI Inc.
George’s 34 years of beverage and consumer products experience includes 26 years within the Pepsi-Cola system. George has demonstrated a track record of growing businesses, brands, and people while holding positions such as Sales Manager, President, General Manager, CEO and Chairman. He has a diverse experience in building consumer brands in large cap corporate environments, as well as within private and small cap business ventures. He has held numerous leadership positions in various functions, including Selling and Delivery, General Management and Sales Management. He is recognized as being high-energy, hands on, and results driven. His outstanding sales and sales management success have been a result of his ability to bring people, organizations, and teams together for a common cause and developing trusting relationships. These relationships foster a “customer for life” attitude and they deliver business results for all parties involved.
George is a high impact executive that leverages exceptional communication skills, a highly collaborative approach, positive demeanor, a key process discipline, and focused leadership style that generates the greatest level of performance and productivity from any organization he leads. George has a thirty year proven track record of results with management experience for all traditional functional departments across immense employee populations and full P&L accountability.
George and his wife Lisa currently reside in Chandler, Arizona. They have 3 children Lisa Renee, Eric and Michael. He received his Bachelor’s degree in Business Management from the University of Phoenix and his Associates Degree from Northern College of Wyoming.
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..
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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Jonathan Polonsky, CEO
Plaid Pantry
Jonathan Polonsky is the current Chairman and CEO of Plaid Pantry, a regional convenience store company headquartered in Portland, OR. Plaid Pantry owns and operates 107 stores in Oregon and Washington. Mr. Polonsky joined Plaid Pantry in July 2012 as COO, was promoted to President in 2016 and to CEO in 2018. Prior to his experience at Plaid, Mr. Polonsky spent 12 years with a NW packaging distributer as a sales executive. His other career experience includes 7 years as an executive with May Company Department Stores and 4 years as a co-owner of a regional retail store safety & sanitation distribution company. Mr. Polonsky has a Bachelor Degree from the University of Washington.
Outside of work, Mr. Polonsky enjoys spending time outdoors across the Pacific Northwest, cycling, playing handball, and exploring hard to get to locations courtesy of his private pilot’s license. Mr. Polonsky lives in Portland, OR with his wife, Jessica.
Darren Rebelez, Chairman, President and CEO
Casey's General Stores
Darren Rebelez is the Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer of Casey’s (NASDAQ: CASY), a FORTUNE 500 company operating over 2,600 convenience stores throughout the Midwest and South. As CEO of the third largest convenience retailer and fifth largest pizza chain in the United States, Rebelez offers a wealth of experience from his career as a senior executive in the convenience, restaurant and fuel industries.
Under Rebelez’ leadership, Casey’s has undergone a remarkable transformation, including several significant milestones: a brand modernization/reimaging, closing several significant acquisitions (including the largest in the company’s history), a digital transformation including the first rewards platform that currently boasts over 7.5 million members, launching a new e-commerce platform, relaunching the company's private brand business, and
publishing the company’s first ESG report.
Prior to Casey’s, Rebelez served as the President of IHOP Restaurants, a unit of Dine Brands Global, Inc.. While leading IHOP, the company grew to become the largest full service restaurant brand in the USA. Previous to IHOP, Rebelez worked at 7-Eleven, the world’s largest convenience store chain, as Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer. Before 7-Eleven, Darren held numerous leadership roles within ExxonMobil Corporation.
Preceding his civilian career, Darren was an Army Ranger and Gulf War veteran. A native of San Diego, he is a graduate of the U.S. Military Academy at West Point where he earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Foreign Area Studies. He went on to also earn an MBA from the University of Houston.
In addition to his role at Casey’s, Darren serves on the board of directors of Genuine Parts Company (NYSE: GPC), and as an advisory board member for the Children of Fallen Patriots Foundation.
Donald Rhoads, President/CEO
The Convenience Group, LLC
COMPANY: The Convenience Group, LLC owns and operates 6 convenience stores and franchises 3 convenience stores in Southwest Washington state. The chain was awarded 2018 and 2024 Washington State Retailer of the Year by the Washington Food Industry and Independent Grocers Association.
DON’S BACKGROUND BUSINESS: Don is the owner and CEO of The Convenience Group, LLC and has led the company in strategic growth, planning and establishment of long-term goals and policies, and building the company’s asset portfolio. Don began his convenience store career in 1989 as President of the Quick Shop Minit Mart, a 65-unit convenience store chain located in Vancouver, Washington. Don is past Chairman of National Association of Convenience Stores (NACS), Chairman of NACS Political Engagement Committee and serves on the NACS Executive Committee, which provides strategic direction and financial oversight to the association. Don is past President and founding member of Washington Association of Neighborhood Stores.
EDUCATION: St. Mary’s College; Western Washington University; National Development Council; NACS Financial Leadership Program, Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania; NACS Marketing Leadership Program, Kellogg School of Management, Northwestern University, NACS Innovation Leadership Program at Massachusetts Institute of Technology and NACS Executive Leadership Program at Dyson Cornell College of Business.
FAMILY: Don and Jennifer have two children.
ACTIVITIES: Family, travel and outdoor activities.
Mark Samuels, EVP of Convenience Retailing
Dash In/The Wills Group
Mark Samuels is a Retail Executive with over 35 years of experience in the Foodservice, Convenience, and Retail industries. Mark currently serves as Executive Vice President of Convenience Retailing for the Wills Group and leads the Company’s customer facing businesses that include Dash In Food Stores and Splash In Eco Car Wash.
During Mark’s 26-year career at the Wills Group, he held several key leadership roles within the organization. Over the past decade, the Wills Group has been focused on transforming its portfolio of Brands. Dash In, under Mark’s leadership, has focused on creating a disruptive convenience concept based on a standardized building design, restaurant quality food and beverage, and a new visual identity; all of which will enable rapid growth. Additionally, Splash In has focused on delivering a superior wash experience for our guests that exists as part of an integrated offering with Dash In Fuel and Convenience, as well as stand-alone Express Exterior wash facilities.
Mark Holds an Executive MBA from Loyola College of Maryland and undergraduate degrees in Hotel and Restaurant Management, Business Management, and Psychology.
Joe Sheetz, Executive Vice Chairman
Sheetz, Inc
Joseph S. Sheetz was born in Altoona, Pennsylvania where he grew up working with his father, Joseph M. Sheetz, at the family-owned Harshbarger Dairy. Once the dairy was sold, the elder Joe began working for the other family business founded by his brother, Sheetz, Inc. The younger Joe later worked for Sheetz in various accounting and operations functions during high school and college. Sheetz, Inc. is a family owned business with approximately 25,000 employees operating over 660 convenience stores in Pennsylvania, Maryland, Ohio, Virginia, West Virginia, and North Carolina. Known for its award winning proprietary food service program, the Company has annual revenues of over $9 billion and is currently ranked by Forbes Magazine as the 75th largest private company in the United States. Sheetz has also been ranked in the Fortune best 100 companies to work for list during 7 of the last 8 years, currently coming in at #33.
Joe graduated from The Wharton School of Business at the University of Pennsylvania with a B.S. in economics in 1989. After graduation, Joe worked as an employee benefit and pension plan consultant for CGI Consulting in the suburban Philadelphia area, specializing in designing benefit and retirement plans for major corporations. In 1995, Joe returned to Sheetz as Director of Personnel and later became Executive Vice President of Finance in June of 1996. In this position, he led all finance, accounting, technology, real estate, and risk management functions and was an active member of the executive committee. He served as both President & CEO of Sheetz from 2013 thru 2018, CEO from 2018 thru 2021, and is currently Executive Vice Chairman.
Joe currently serves on the Economic and Community Advisory Council for the Federal Reserve Bank of Philadelphia, the Advisory Board for the Baker Retailing School at the Wharton School of Business, and as an Advisory Board Member for M&T Bank. He is former Chairman of the Board of Directors for the National Association of Convenience Stores and serves on the Executive Committee of the Altoona Blair County Development Corporation where he was Chairman from 2009-2011. He is also former Chairman of Mount Aloysius College. Joe is a frequent guest speaker at business schools and family business conferences. He resides in Altoona, Pennsylvania with wife Wendy.
Keith Slater, Chief Financial Officer
Family Express Corp
Successful executive finance and operations leader with over 30 years’ experience leading organizations in the retail, energy, transportation, and restaurant industries. Extraordinary cross-functional leadership roles over budgeting, financial planning and analysis, operations, accounting, category management, procurement, supply chain, transportation, real estate, and information technology. A strategic, customer-focused, and change-oriented executive with a proven track record of driving sales, operational improvement, operating income, process enhancement, simplification, and best-in-class operations. Strong expertise in leadership, financial management, organizational structure, capital management, team development, and mergers & acquisitions.
Kevin Smartt, CEO
TXB Stores
COMPANY:
TXB, previously Kwik Chek Food Stores, Inc., is a chain of 50 convenience stores across Texas and Oklahoma, offering unique, fresh-made food and a robust line of TXB private label products. Kwik Chek’s rebrand to TXB (short for Texas Born) emphasizes the Texan roots and values the brand was built upon – authenticity, hospitality and integrity. Kevin is also the managing member of Taylor-Smartt, LLC., and an investment company that owns a variety of companies in industries ranging from fuel, propane, technology, banks, real estate and food production.
KEVIN’S BACKGROUND BUSINESS:
Beyond serving as the CEO of TXB for more than two decades, Smartt also serves as Chairman for Conexxus, Chairman of the Coca-Cola National Retailing Research Council, serves on the Board of Directors for P97 Networks, Inc., a technology company, and was the 2020-2021 NACS Chairman. Smartt continues to widen his professional board involvement, and has an interest in serving on boards involved in the banking, technology and healthcare industries.
Barbara Stoyko, SVP Shell Mobility Americas
Shell USA
Barbara became the Sr. Vice President of Shell Mobility Americas, effective August 1st, 2021. In this role, she is responsible for the financial, strategic, and organizational delivery of the Retail businesses in Canada, United States and Mexico. Prior to this role, she was the GM of Sales for the branded wholesale business across the United States, where she led her organization to deliver record new business growth while supporting wholesalers through significant market changes.
Barbara began her career as a Process Engineer at the Puget Sound Refinery in 1992, after graduating with a BS in Chemical Engineering from UCLA, but found her ‘home’ in Retail over the past 24 years. Barbara has developed deep expertise in many areas of the business through her roles in sales, strategy, retail development and operations. Prior to her GM of Sales role, Barbara was the GM of Operations and GM of Network Delivery for North America. She has extensive experience in organizational leadership, strategy development, sales and negotiations, and project management. Barbara has a passion for developing talent and building lasting relationships with her team members and external partners.
Barbara resides in Houston Texas with her husband, Rich, with whom she has three children ages 26, 22, and 18.
Eva Strasburger
President, StrasGlobal
CEO, Compliance Safe
Born in Tanzania, brought up in Vanuatu, Hong Kong and the Caribbean and educated in England, Eva Strasburger, brings an international perspective to everything she does. After graduating from Cambridge University, and a stint at Chase Manhattan Bank in London, she co-founded a publishing company with Roy Strasburger in Southern England before moving to the States in 1988. For fifteen years, she served as VP of International Client Relationships for Strasburger Enterprises, where she helped manage their convenience retailing clients in over thirty countries.
Eva is currently President of StrasGlobal. StrasGlobal had its own retail outlets until June 2022 and, for the last thirty years, has provided operational and infrastructure support and management consulting to retail operators. Eva is also CEO of Compliance Safe, a SaaS product that manages business-critical documents, and alerts retailers when permits should be renewed. Compliance Safe won CSP’s Retailer Choice Best New Technology Product in 2020.
Eva is co-founder of the Vision Group Network – where industry leaders meet to discuss current and future issues and share their perspective with the rest of the industry.
In 2020, Eva spearheaded the StrasGlobal COVID Task Force Team and the development of the COVID-19 Response Plan. Shared with retailers, the plan was featured by NACS, Convenience Store News, CSP and numerous state associations. Eva then headed up Resources for Retailers, a new initiative that provides information, support and, most importantly actionable plans for small retailers.
Eva is a member of the National Association of Convenience Stores (NACS), and the New York Association of Convenience Stores (NYACS), and a past member of the Society of Independent Gasoline Marketers of America (SIGMA) and the Consumer Goods Forum (formerly CIES).
Convenience Store News named Eva as a senior-level leader in their 2021 Top Women in Convenience Awards.
Eva, is an Officer on the Board of Directors of the Caius Foundation of Gonville and Caius College, Cambridge University, an Officer of the Priory in the USA of The Order of St John and Vice-President of The American Friends of St George’s and Descendants of the Knights of the Garter. She is based in Austin, Texas with her husband, Roy, and they have four daughters: Selina, Chantal, Lorelei and Danielle. Along with other charitable endeavors, Eva and Roy focus on supporting global cultural and heritage projects.
The context: A unique Anglo-Goan background and perspective from a bygone era; a love of the exotic in design and beauty; a connoisseur of boutique hotels and travel itineraries; an aficionado of late-night dinner debates; a passion for collecting artifacts and their stories; a collector, connector, and disseminator of information; an initiator of creative experiences and an enthusiastic participator in any cultural ventures.
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.
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