In early November CGA members convened at the historic Reyes Coca Cola bottling facility in Downtown Los Angeles for the Association’s In-person Government Relations Day. This year’s GR Day was an open forum for members to provide perspective and highlight challenges as we strategize together on top grocery issues and priorities for the year ahead.

At the top of the day, CGA’s state and local lobbying team contextualized the 2023 political playing field and set the stage for 2024. This year’s Legislature underwent massive turnover and there’s more to come with one fourth of the Legislature turning over at the end of 2024. Local government will also experience high turnover in the 2024 election, with councilmembers and supervisors facing election and re-election. This crop of new faces will give CGA the opportunity to tell the industry’s on grocery-specific issues.

With crime plaguing grocery stores every day, a retail theft discussion was at the top of the list for GR Day. Together, attendees drew from personal experience to chart next steps to address rampant theft and employee safety concerns. To gain a sense of who may be influencing these conversations in the near future, CGA was joined by 2024 candidates Dr. Angelo Farooq (SD 31), Laura Richardson (SD 35), and Efren Martinez (AD 57) to talk retail theft and public safety and to hear their policy priorities.

Our group also had the opportunity to discuss concerns over retail theft with Sen. Josh Newman (SD 29), Co-Chair of the Problem Solvers Caucus. Sen. Newman provided an overview of the caucus’ 2024 priorities including strengthening moderate forces within the Legislature through leadership and committee appointments and taking on retail theft. CGA is actively engaging with the caucus and looks forward to strengthening the relationship.

Next up, CalChamber Policy Advocate Ashley Hoffman joined us for a labor and employment update to review 2023 legislation and help us anticipate potential labor mandates on the horizon.

Attendees had the opportunity to weigh in on environmentally targeted legislation that would effect carryout bags and packaging. CEO of RMS Matthew Dodson provided an overview of the proposed recycling dealer cooperative model spearheaded by RMS for recycling compliance under SB 1013. The proposed cooperative model would engage retailers, recycling partners, and technology companies.

The Association is grateful to our attendees for their candor and engagement at this year’s GR Day. Your perspective and participation are invaluable as CGA works to create an ideal business environment for grocers in California.

Thank you to Reyes Coca-Cola for hosting us at your facility!

Daniel Conway Will Lead CGA’s Government Relations Program

Sacramento, California (Nov. 6, 2023) – The California Grocers Association (CGA) is pleased to announce the hiring of Daniel Conway as Vice President, Government Relations, effective Nov. 6, 2023.

In this position, Conway will serve as the Association’s chief lobbyist and be responsible for managing all aspects of CGA’s advocacy efforts. He will represent CGA member companies on strategic advocacy efforts before the State Legislature, regulatory agencies and local municipalities, as well as manage CGA’s government relations staff, contract lobbyists, and political action committee (PAC). Conway will participate on CGA’s management team.

“We are thrilled to add Daniel to our government relations team,” said Ron Fong, CGA President and CEO. “His breadth of experience in California policy and advocacy combined with his knowledge of local government make him a valuable asset to spearhead and strengthen the Association’s legislative program.”

Prior to joining CGA, Conway led his own strategic political communications firm, Conway Strategies, where he worked on a variety of campaigns and issue areas. His recent work has focused on the state’s homelessness crisis, where he advised the LA Alliance for Human Rights on its groundbreaking federal lawsuit and lead the Yes on Measure O campaign in the City of Sacramento. Conway previously served as Chief of Staff to former Sacramento Mayor Kevin Johnson and as Legislative and Public Affairs Director for the California Restaurant Association.

Conway holds a Juris Doctor with a concentration in business law from the University of the Pacific, McGeorge School of Law, and a Bachelors of Arts degrees in history and political science from University of California, Santa Barbara.

“Daniel’s impressive background set him apart from a group of well-qualified candidates,” said Michel LeClerc, Chief Financial Officer, North State Grocery, Inc., and chair of the CGA Government Relations Committee. “His political expertise and strategic know-how make him well equipped to represent the industry before the Legislature and navigate legislative and regulatory hurdles facing California’s grocery industry.”

About CGA

For more than 125 years, the California Grocers Association has served as the voice of the state’s grocery community. A nonprofit, statewide trade association, CGA’s membership is comprised of over 300 retailers operating more than 6,000 brick-and-mortar stores, and approximately 150 grocery supply companies. 

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With the end of the legislative session and an election year around the corner, now is the perfect time to regroup and reset agendas ahead of the new year. Join us in Los Angeles on November 9 for the CGA In-Person GR Day as we sum up 2023’s trends, update you on priority policies, and plot the path ahead.

In the morning, we’ll review the 2023 legislative year and takeaways going into the new year. Then, we’ll discuss labor’s impact at the Capitol and project possible mandates on the horizon for employers. We’ll then switch gears to discuss the pending rewrite of the carryout bag state law, and dissect environmental issues including CRV, recycling, and packaging.

Following lunch and a public affairs update, we’ll have the opportunity to meet and greet with 2024 candidates. After, we’ll tackle retail theft and employee safety and chart strategic next steps in the theft and safety arena. Finally, we’ll explore the bipartisan California Problem Solvers Caucus.

Location + Accommodations

The CGA In-Person GR Day will begin with breakfast at 8:30 a.m., followed by our program from 9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. at the historic Coca-Cola Bottling Company, located in Downtown Los Angeles.

Coca-Cola Bottling Company
1334 S Central Ave.
Los Angeles, CA 90021

We recommend reserving accommodations at the Sheraton Grand Los Angeles.

Sheraton Grand Los Angeles
711 South Hope Street 
Los Angeles, CA, 9001

Monday, January 8, 2024

The Independent Exchange

Our week begins with a meaningful opportunity for retailers and other attendees to sit down and explore essential topics to guide the success of your family business. Relevant and emerging subjects will be explored in a free-flowing format offering plenty of opportunities to get your most pressing challenges discussed.  Preliminary topics to include:

• Marketing & Merchandising Trends
• Community Engagement Programs
• Labor and Employment Challenges
• Leadership & Talent Development
• Loss Prevention and Asset Protection Issues
• What Bogs You Down
• Top 5 Compliance Questions
• GroceryTech

Information and dialogues from this share group will improve your business efficiencies and profitability, while also providing a conducive atmosphere to share best practices and explore new concepts with fellow California food retailers. Session facilitated by Ron Fong, President and CEO of California Grocers Association.

Ron Fong
President & CEO, California Grocers Association

Ronald Fong assumed the reigns of the California Grocers Association (CGA) as President and Chief Executive Officer in 2008. Ron joined CGA after 12 years with the California Credit Union League (CCUL) where he was Vice President of State Government Affairs. He was responsible for the League’s 10-person Sacramento office and directed its advocacy program.

Prior to that, he was Corporate President for United Market, Inc., his family’s independent grocery company operating neighborhood stores in the Sacramento region. He grew up working in his family’s stores and understands the grocery industry from the backroom to the boardroom. His grandfather started Carmichael Supermarket in 1941, the first grocery market in his home town of Carmichael.

During his tenure at CGA, he is credited with overhauling the government relations program, including the appointment of a new veteran lobbying and political team. Ron oversees and leads the strategy of the Association’s senior management team, which has made significant and well received changes to CGA’s government relations, member services, conferences and communication programs. He also serves as President to the CGA Educational Foundation.

Tuesday, January 9, 2024

Connect for Keeps

Attract, keep, and build thriving talent, teams, & organizations

People don’t leave companies, they leave management (and really bad jokes). Often people trudge along in jobs where they feel unseen, and where their best efforts go unrecognized. They feel invisible. The tools you’ll learn in this keynote, clinically proven through various therapeutic modalities and self-compassion research, will teach your people how to make others feel understood, connected, and valued. Layer on truly memorable mind-reading moments and a few solid Dad jokes, and this keynote will be the signature event for your people to refer to again and again.

Key outcomes:

• Stop employees from “clocking out” when they clock in 
• Learn 3 easy tools that build lasting relationships
• Inspire employee discretionary effort, from meets expectations to exceeds expectations
• Combat employee erosion, quiet quitting, and rage applying
• Build empathy muscles for effective leadership in a diverse workforce
• Laughy tears, because it doesn’t hurt (it actually really helps)

Sean Bott
Speaker, Entertainer, Mind Reader

Spending much of his early life growing up in Saudi Arabia, Sean developed a scorching sense of humor. He began his journey into the art of magic at age of 12 by learning and then performing hypnosis, psychology, and stagecraft at his local library. One quirky magic shop and a degree or two later, he can now say he’s been blowing minds and making people gasp and laugh for over 15 years. Sprinkle on some pit stops at Second City in Chicago to keep his funny skills on point and you’re left with a one-of-a-kind mind reading experience. Sean combines his knowledge, personal experience, and mind-reading, to show us how to create warm connection with other humans quickly and authentically.

Whether building deeper relationships as a leader, working with clients, onboarding new employees, or retaining great talent, the tools he provides creates spaces of belonging faster and easier than ever before. Working with over 1,500 associations, corporations, and universities worldwide including companies like Dell, Google, and Disney, Sean has brought curated content, mind-blowing moments, and bucketfuls of laughs (not chicken) to thousands.

Wednesday, January 10, 2024

FMI Consumer Trends Report and Understanding Federal & State Politics

In this two-part session, FMI President & CEO, Leslie Sarasin will share the latest research regarding consumer food trends and unpack their implications for food retailers. For 45 years, FMI has partnered with leading research agencies to develop the touchstone U.S. Grocery Shopper Trends report and delivered its findings at their annual conferences. This year, Independent Operators Symposium attendees will get an advance peek at how consumers are dealing with inflation by employing new value-seeking approaches, hear the latest trends in healthy eating, and gain a useful perspective of generational purchase characteristics and online versus in-store shopping behaviors.

Following this presentation, Leslie will sit down with CGA’s Ron Fong to discuss federal and state politics with updates on emerging issues including credit card swipe fees, WIC & SNAP benefits, theft legislation, California’s PAGA ballot initiative, minimum wage, and recycling updates, to name a few.

Leslie Sarasin
President & CEO, FMI

Leslie G. Sarasin is the president and chief executive officer of the Food Marketing Institute (FMI), the trade association that serves as the voice of food retail, assisting its food retail and wholesale members in their role of feeding families and enriching lives, as well as the companies that supply goods and services to the industry. FMI conducts programs in public affairs, food safety, research, education and industry relations on behalf of its nearly 1500 food retail and wholesale member companies in the U.S. and around the world, including more than 40,000 retail food stores, nearly 25,000 pharmacies and combined annual sales volume of some $770 billion. Under her leadership, FMI has emerged as a member centered organization helping food retailing venues find new and future facing ways of feeding families and enriching lives. A committed collaborator, Sarasin has infused FMI with a vision of cooperative action that amplifies the association’s ability to assist its members in addressing the critical industry issues of the day.

Prior to joining FMI, Sarasin spent 19 years at the American Frozen Food Institute, serving as president and CEO for the last nine of those years. She also held positions at the National Yogurt Association, Frozen Potato Products Institute, International Frozen Food Association, National Food Brokers Association, Crest International Corporation and Salomon Brothers. Sarasin holds a JD from the University of San Diego and a BA in economics from Smith College.

Thursday, January 11, 2024

The 5 Rules

Leaders want results, but only 5% have plans in place to develop their teams. It doesn’t take a complex plan to create transformation — it just needs The 5 Rules. Based on over 45 years of leading thousands of employees, Steve Black has distilled essential principles that produce results into this one book.

Unlock the potential within yourself or in others by introducing these five rules into all aspects of life — you won’t regret it! For families looking to strengthen generational bonds or individuals searching for personal growth, these five rules can revolutionize any life they’re applied to.

• Do Your Job: This simple rule is important to not skim over. There’s more to it than you may think.
• Be Kind: How being kind is important to your success as a leader and the success of your team.
• No Surprises: The importance of communicating to solve problems faster and make progress faster.
• No Drama: How exaggerated facts or feelings can do harm within your team.
• Protect the Brand: In everything you do, you represent the brand. Learn why.

Steve Black
Author, Coach, Leader and CEO of A Brighter Day Life

With 45 years of expertise in the retail grocery arena, Steve Black has had a remarkable career. He’s been an integral part of companies that are true innovators and trailblazers, such as Rouses Markets, Lucky’s Farmers Markets, Sprouts Farmers Markets, and Sunflower Farmers Markets.

His leadership-focused mindset and hands-on experience have enabled him to contribute valuable insights at every turn-impacting businesses through coaching & training teams dedicated towards personal growth on both individual & organizational levels.

Steve Black and his wife, Melanie, along with their daughter Taylor live in Colorado and enjoy spending time outdoors on their four – wheelers, trout fishing, photography, and traveling to see their two sons, daughters-in-law, and six grandchildren.

In late September the California Grocers Association hosted the Golden State’s grocery industry for its annual convention in Palm Springs. The Strategic Conference is where California’s grocery community comes together to make lasting connections and get inspired. We hope all who attended came away from our event with stronger industry bonds and new business leads.

This year we uncovered the grocery industry’s shifting priorities and explored fresh solutions and emerging opportunities for businesses, with help from our inspiring lineup of speakers and moderators.

On Sunday afternoon in partnership with Navigator Lighthouse Foundation, CGA hosted its second Emerging Brands Pitch Contest, where up-and-coming CPG contestants made connections with retail leaders for a chance to grow their business in California. Our event officially opened with a thought-provoking presentation by chef and Social Impact Entrepreneur Mark Brand who inspired attendees with his journey to building business beyond the bottom line. The Opening Experience flowed right into a lively reception where attendees had the opportunity to make connections with top retail executives in attendance.

Monday morning rolled around, and CGA President Ron Fong, Chair Dennis Darling, and Headline of The Illuminators Greg Siegel took the stage for their opening remarks to reflect on the Association’s 125 year anniversary and longstanding partnership with The Illuminators. Afterwards, we were joined by state legislators Senator Rosalicie Ochoa Bough and Assemblymember Blanca Pacheco for a fireside chat with CGA Board Member Michel LeClerc on the latest legislative happenings and hot topics like retail theft. General Session Keynote speaker Rohit Bhargava taught the audience the top five habits of non-obvious thinkers to help you see opportunities that others miss, and practice resilience.

The rest of the day consisted hundreds of pre-scheduled business meetings, plus the Enterprise Risk Protection Executive Summit and the Independent Operators Forum, featuring IGA President John Ross. Attendees unwound from the day at the Illuminators hosted happy hour. Retail expert Michael Klein helped us kick off Tuesday morning with a presentation on keeping up with shifting consumer behaviors. Then, grocery veteran Tom Furphy joined Klein onstage for a fireside chat to give his take on digital, customer-centricity, and other disruptions. Busy business meetings resumed and our final conference speaker left the audience with plenty of laughs. Comedian and entrepreneur Dena Blizzard delivered her stand up routine with relatable tales of motherhood, entrepreneurship, and her own evolving relationship with the grocery store through different phases of her life.

With the Strategic Conference in the rear view, we hope you feel more connected than ever to California’s grocery community and equipped to take on shifting priorities and new opportunities on the horizon. To all of our speakers, sponsors, partners, and attendees, thank you for contributing to the success of this year’s conference. View photos from the event below.

Mark your calendars for next year’s Strategic Conference on September 29 — October 1, 2024 in Palm Springs!

The California Grocers Association and CGA Educational Foundation were thrilled to bring back our popular store leader training seminars to both Northern and Southern California this year. Store leaders from across the state— representing over two dozen grocery retailers— joined us for two day-long training seminars in Costa Mesa and Walnut Creek packed with informative speaker sessions and interactive exercises for store directors, assistant directors, and department managers.

Our training seminars were designed to give store leaders an opportunity to refine their leadership skills and further their professional development. Leaders had the opportunity to collaborate with one another and share ideas and best practices with the group. 

The event was book-ended by author and speaker Stan Phelps who inspired attendees to drive employee engagement by incorporating team building, recognition, and empowerment into their management practices.

Instructors from the WAFC Retail Management Certificate program gave attendees a taste of the curriculum with sessions on the principles of retail management, including marketing, merchandising, and customer service.

Finally, Christopher P. Norris from Wicklander- Zulawski & Associates, led a practical session on deescalation and conflict management to help store leaders peacefully resolve disputes, manage unwanted patron behavior, and maintain safe and profitable operations.

After a full day of training, leaders came away with newfound inspiration and tools to bring back to their staff. View photos from the event below.

Thank you to our sponsors for supporting our seminars!

• Certified Federal Credit Union

• UNFI

• RMS

• C&S Wholesale

• TruGrocer Credit Union

• PepsiCo

The California Grocers Association is ecstatic to announce CGA Radio, our new podcast for grocery and food industry professionals. Together, we’ll explore the people, ideas, and brands shaping California’s grocery community. 

Season 1 introduces listeners to “people you should meet” in the food and grocery business. Our insightful guests lend us their perspective on compelling topics from education to food insecurity, store design, organics, and solving hunger.

Tune into CGA Radio on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, and Android. Subscribe to be notified of new episodes and leave us a rating if you enjoyed!

Thank you to our Season 1 sponsor of CGA Radio:

The independent grocery community enjoyed a lively day of golf and connection at this year’s Independent Grocers Golf Tournament which took place on June 7 in Rohnert Park, CA.

Our annual tournament allows independent grocers, wholesalers, and suppliers to network with one another outside of the office while practicing their swing for a productive day of golf, sampling product from sponsors, and forming new business relationships. After a day of play, attendees gathered back at the clubhouse for a raffle and silent auction. The grand prize winner took home an eight-day vacation to Mexico.

CGA is deeply appreciative of our sponsors for supporting the event, and thankful to our attendees for spending their day with us! Check out our winners and event photos below.

First Place:

Peet’s Coffee

Dennis Albrecht

Jeremy Markus

Bennie Tiapon

Tim Albrecht

Second Place:

Mollie Stone’s Market

Mike Stone

Laz Soares

Matt Bloom

Joe Tringali

Closest to the Pin:

Benny Tiapon

Diane Maxey

Longest Drive:

Mike Stone

Beth Beckmann

September 24-26, Palm Springs, CA

Revisiting Value

The time is here to gather with California’s grocery community to uncover the evolving values and priorities of today’s customers and explore how your business can realign to adapt to these changes. Registration is now open for the 2023 CGA Strategic Conference. We’ll meet you in Palm Springs for our high-energy event packed with enlightening educational sessions, dynamic business meetings, and lively social events.

Reserve your spot and hotel accommodations today.

Conference Theme: Shifting Priorities

In a retail landscape that has transformed over the past few years, today’s retailers and brands are reprioritizing to meet evolving customer needs— centered on health, sustainability, and convenience— all while adjusting to a new marketplace. With an appetite to experiment, retailers and companies across the supply chain are employing new data and technology, and pursuing creative partnerships that break the mold. 

Our full conference website is available now. Stay tuned for speaker and program announcements.

Make Your Mark With a Sponsorship

Sponsorship opportunities are available at various investment and exposure levels to meet you where you are. All sponsors receive a personalized schedule of private, pre-arranged meetings with senior management, procurement teams, and other retail professionals in California’s grocery industry, 

From young emerging brands to established national suppliers, our gathering of top industry decision makers will guarantee meaningful business connections and point you towards creative avenues to take your business to the next level. Reserve your spot before it sells out

An Exclusive Forward Forecast for Food Industry Leaders

June 27, 2023 | 2:00 p.m. – 6:30 p.m.
GRAMMY Museum @ LA LIVE

Grocers and their shoppers are intrinsically linked, making it absolutely essential for food industry business leaders to understand the economic position of today’s customers and its role in their choices and behaviors. From supply chain headwinds to the key drivers of inflation, it is imperative for grocers to have the tools to anticipate the realities of current economic conditions which impact consumers, the access and affordability of capital, and influence labor and wage dynamics.

The California Grocers Association presents to you the first-ever Food Industry Economic Forecast 2023 on June 27 at the iconic Grammy Museum in Los Angeles. During our program we’ll explore where the economy is headed and what you need to know to be prepared. We invite you to join food industry colleagues for an insightful afternoon educational program, led by keynote speaker Dr. Christopher Thornberg, followed by a presentation by John S. Phillips that will examine current supply chain constraints and discuss how industry leaders can leverage trends and technologies to adapt to new, elevated employee and customer expectations. Our event will conclude with a hosted networking reception with senior grocery leaders registered to attend.

The cost to attend the event is $125, and registration includes the educational seminar and hosted reception. CGA and The Illuminators members save $30 when using the code FELLOWSHIP. Thank you to The Illuminators for your support in promoting this new event for the food industry.

Dr. Christopher Thornberg
Founder, Beacon Economics

An expert in economic and revenue forecasting, regional economics, economic policy, and labor and real estate markets, Dr. Christopher Thornberg has consulted for private industry, cities, counties, and public agencies. He became nationally known for forecasting the subprime mortgage market crash that began in 2007 and was one of the few economists on record to predict the global economic recession that followed. Dr. Thornberg holds a Ph.D in Business Economics from The Anderson School at UCLA, and a B.S. degree in Business Administration from the State University of New York at Buffalo.

John S. Phillips
SVP, Customer Supply Chain and Go-to-Market, PepsiCo

Phillips has been with PepsiCo for over 35 years and has worked in a number of different sales and field operations roles since joining the company as a route salesperson with Frito-Lay. In his current role, Phillips is responsible for working with PepsiCo’s largest customers on supply chain and collaboration initiatives to drive both effectiveness and efficiency across the shared supply chain. He also leads PepsiCo’s Go-To-Market COE focused on global process and technology tools to optimize go-to-market systems. 

Sponsorship Available

Be in the room with California’s top grocery leaders in attendance. Sponsorship opportunities for the Food Industry Economic Forecast and networking reception are available. Contact Beth Wright to learn more.

This event is sponsored by: