The convenience store industry continues to grow sales at record numbers, but the stakes have never been higher as convenience store owners face competition from multiple retail channels. The National Advisory Group (NAG) has been working overtime to create an environment where small, mid-sized and family-owned retailers can interact with one another and share ideas for reducing operating costs and increasing sales.
NAG is pleased to announce that Joy Almekies has joined the NAG Board of Directors. Almekies is the Senior Director of Food Services for Global Partners. Family-owned Global Partners operates more than 300 stores in seven states under the Alltown, Alltown Fresh, Xtra Mart, Honey Farms and Jiffy Mart brands.
“I am very excited to have the opportunity to work with this strategic and forward-thinking organization. Influencing the direction of food services and impacting the direction of this critical category within the convenience channel is something I have always gravitated toward,” Almekies said. “I consider this an honor to help the industry and look forward to the experience.”
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Almekies, a frequent contributor to NAG conferences and CStore Decisions magazine, has spent her career in the foodservices industry. She earned her undergraduate and graduate degrees from Johnson & Wales University in Rhode Island. She spent nearly seven years as the director of new product development for White Hen Pantry in New England, seven years as a foodservice specialist with J Polep and six years with Global Partners.
“Our NAG board represents a wonderful mix of the very best retailers in the convenience store industry,” said John Lofstock, executive director of NAG. “We are honored to welcome Joy to the Board and look forward to working with her to continue our mission of serving small and mid-sized and family-owned chains in the competitive convenience store industry.”
Peter Tamburro, General Manager for Cliff’s Local Market, has been a NAG member for more than two decades and served as the NAG Chairman from 2016-2018. He has a long history in the convenience store industry. He was elected to the New York Association of Convenience Stores (NYACS) Convenience Store Hall of Fame, which honors retailers for exceptional achievement in the convenience store industry, earlier this year. He has previously served on the NYACS Board of Directors, including two terms as Chairman, and is on the NYACS Executive Committee and Convention Committee.
“As I transition off of the NAG board, I will always be thankful for the industry leaders I’ve sat at the table with and learned from through the years,” Tamburro said. “NAG is one large share group and an integral part of my career since joining the organization more than 20 years ago.”
Tamburro is a native of Hudson, N.Y., where he worked for a Nice N Easy franchisee called Valley Oil Co. from 1983 to 1993, helping develop 10 Nice N Easy locations and several Citgo and Mobil marts in the Hudson Valley. He was promoted to Vice President of Store Operations.
In 1993, when Valley Oil was sold to Mid-Valley Oil (Xtra Mart), he was hired by John MacDougall, president and founder of Nice N Easy Grocery Shoppes in Canastota, N.Y., as director of franchise operations, providing support to 18 separate owners operating 75 stores combined. In 1997, he became vice president of franchise operations, taking on additional responsibilities for marketing, foodservice and store operations. He later was promoted to senior executive vice president. After Nice N Easy was sold to CST Brands in 2014, Tamburro joined Clifford Fuel.
“Peter has been an important part of the NAG family for more than 21 years. His leadership, vast industry experience and willingness to help other retailers has made NAG a better organization,” Lofstock said. “But as good as Peter is at his job, he’s been an even better friend and mentor. I am grateful personally and for all our NAG members that we have been able to work with him all these years, and we are all appreciative that he is committed to staying involved with NAG for the next year.”
NAG is a retail trade association driven by retailers for retailers and is an organization committed to building profits and relationships. NAG is aimed at small, mid-size convenience and family-owned convenience store chains and the executives that run them. NAG members meet annually to examine pressing issues affecting the convenience store and petroleum industry. Through education, networking and NAG’s core Information Exchanges, NAG members and the supplier companies that support them have formed lasting friendships and partnerships that have helped storeowners increase profits, reduce operating costs and explore new ideas for expanding their business.
For information about NAG, membership or the 2022 NAG conference at Torrey Pines in La Jolla, Calif., visit www.nagconvenience.com or email at [email protected].