On Sunday, March 26, the National Advisory Group (NAG) kicked off at the Hilton La Jolla Torrey Pines hotel in La Jolla, Calif. Running through March 30, the conference began with a golf outing at widely recognized Torrey Pines Golf Course.
At the end of the day, attendees were welcomed with a dinner and reception.
Rear Admiral Garry Hall was the keynote speaker. Scot Fleck, regional director at McLane Co., introduced him.
Hall is retired from the U.S. Navy, a former special assistant to the president for national security affairs and senior director on the National Security Council (NSC). He served 35 years on active duty.
Hall spoke about the conflict in Ukraine, as well as the facets of leadership: desire, commitment, responsibility and accountability. He stressed creating a vision and communicating it.
“Managers do things right, leaders do the right thing, but exceptional leaders do the right thing in the right way,” Hall said.
He also remarked on his time in the White House. He oversaw immigration, migration, refugees, fragile states, stabilization, democracy and governance, U.N. peacekeeping operations, women and children’s issues, international religious freedom, and atrocity prevention.
Hall closed his speech with a final comment to the attendees. “It’s the oil business, the convenience store business, that has fed our families and fueled our lives for the past couple years through the pandemic,” he said. “You’ve been warriors on the front lines, essential businesses, and you’ve made a difference.”
On Monday, March 27, NAG attendees will have the opportunity to learn from information sessions on:
- Culture as a Competitive Advantage
- Loading Up for Breakfast
Attendees will also be able to engage in information exchanges and go on retail store tours at 7-Eleven and Valet Market.
