SACRAMENTO, CA – (Sept. 13, 2012) California Grocers Association President Ronald K. Fong testified before a California Legislature Joint Informational Hearing today, telling legislators that a controversial initiative on the November ballot would create a litigation nightmare for grocery retailers if approved by voters.

In testimony before the Senate Committee and the Assembly Committee on Agriculture, Fong said Proposition 37, which would require labeling of genetically engineered food, isn’t “really about the ‘right to know,’ but is about the ‘right to sue.’ And when it is time to sue, grocery retailers will be on the front line.”

“When lawsuits are filed, the trial lawyers might not be able to figure out who makes Cheerios,” Fong said, “but they sure as heck will know where they bought them.”

Fong told the Joint Hearing that Proposition 37 was written by a trial lawyer who helped write California’s Proposition 65 and whose organization has reaped millions of dollars from suing California businesses under the provisions of that proposition. Prop. 37 allows any private citizen, including attorneys, to sue, claiming a food company, grocer or farmer has violate the labeling provisions. He called it a “lose-lose” situation, with consumers having to pay higher grocery and taxpayer costs.

“In the last two decades, Prop. 65 has been abused by plaintiffs’ lawyers seeking to shakedown grocers into paying huge settlements that benefit only lawyers,” Fong said.

Quoting the California Legislative Analyst, Fong said, “Retailers such as grocery stores would be primarily responsible for complying with the measure by ensuring that their food products are correctly labeled.”

“That means grocers would be responsible for a paper trail on every ingredient of every food product we sell,” he told legislators. “That’s potentially hundreds of thousands of products requiring paperwork down to the seed level.”

Fong also addressed the initiative’s numerous loopholes and exemptions.

Citing a number of food products exempted from the proposition, Fong asked, “If the proponents of Prop. 37 were so concerned about our “right to know” or health, why would they exempt two-thirds of the food we eat every day?”

Fong joined Jamie Johansson, California Farm Bureau Federation and Kent Bradford, Seed Biotechnology Center, UC-Davis, in testifying in opposition to the controversial initiative.

The latest issue of California Grocer featuring the CGA Educational Foundation’s 20th anniversary is available online. In addition, Issue 4 includes the 2012-13 CGAEF College Scholarship recipient brochure.

Other feature stories include:

• California’s Retail Renaissance
• Multi-Cultural Medicine – A Prescription for Supermarket Pharmacies?
• The November 2012 General Election Ballot Measures At A Glance

and much more!

Don’t miss the opportunity to take advantage of the CGA Strategic Conference Early Bird registration rates! Conference registration rates go up Friday, September 6, 2012.

The CGA Strategic Conference is the most productive, well-attended, annual gathering of the California grocery industry. Each year, CGA brings together the top retail decision-makers representing the broad spectrum of California’s grocery industry and leading suppliers for this one-of-a-kind, business-building conference.

The conference offers a variety of targeted educational sessions and signature keynote addresses designed to provide attendees with immediate takeaways and insights from industry thought-leaders. Here, you will learn from high-caliber experts and discover the trends and issues that are surfacing and will affect your business. Gain tangible insights that you can use right away to improve your business.

The CGA Strategic Conference will be held at the Palm Springs Convention Center in Palm Springs, California. With the conference’s new, closer location, it’s even easier than ever to bring your entire team to learn new insights, network with your colleagues and hold productive business meetings involving all the right people.

Click here for a current list of retail companies attending and conference sponsors.

Early bird registration discount good through September 6, 2012.

Register TODAY at www.CGAStrategicConference.com

SACRAMENTO, CA — (August 6, 2012) – Bruce Everette, Executive Vice President, Retail Operations, Safeway Inc., and Dave Jones, Vice President, Industry Initiatives, the Kellogg Company, will be inducted into the California Grocers Association Educational Foundation Hall of Achievement on Thursday, October 18, 2012, at the San Ramon Marriott Hotel in San Ramon, CA.

The Foundation’s Hall of Achievement was created in 1993, and recognizes California grocery retailers and suppliers who have contributed substantially to the advancement of the grocery industry.

“We are very excited to welcome these two deserving individuals into our prestigious Hall of Achievement during the Foundation’s 20th Anniversary,” said CGAEF President Ronald Fong. “Both have served the grocery industry their entire professional careers and like their Hall of Achievement peers have given back generously to the communities and industry they serve.”

Bruce Everette, Safeway Inc.

One of Safeway’s most experienced, well-traveled executives, Bruce Everette began his career in 1968 as a part-time courtesy clerk while attending school in Richmond, Virginia. He subsequently advanced through the retail ranks as Director of Bakery and Deli and then General Manager of the company’s former Drugs For Less operation. Bruce has held the position of Division President for both Arizona and Northern California markets. He has served as Interim President of Randall’s and Thom Thumb in Texas and Dominick’s in Chicago. He was designated an Executive Vice President in 2001, and is currently responsible for Retail Operations of Safeway Inc.’s 10 divisions and over 1,700 stores.

Bruce has a long history of service to the grocery industry. He has served on numerous advisory boards and association committees including the Western Association of Food Chains Board of Directors. He serves on the Board of Directors for Easter Seals, City of Hope, and Muscular Dystrophy Association. Bruce is also a member of the Executive Leadership Team for the American Heart Association, has served on the advisory council for Saint Mary’s College, and actively supports various non-profit organizations including the Salvation Army, Boys and Girl Scouts, and several local food banks.

Dave Jones, Kellogg Company

Dave Jones joined the Kellogg Company in 1986 as a sales representative in Tulsa, Oklahoma. He has held a number of field assignments in Springfield, MO, Grand Rapids, MI and Bedford, NH. In 1994, he was promoted to Director of Contracted Sales in Battle Creek, MI. In 1997, he was promoted to Director Team Sales for the Northeast Region in Princeton, NJ.

He was named Director of Retail Sales in 2000 in Dallas, TX, and in 2004, was promoted to Senior Director Business Development & Sales Operations in Battle Creek, MI. He has been in his current role as Vice President, Industry Initiatives, since 2006.

He currently serves on the following Board of Directors: CGA Executive Committee, FMI Educational Foundation, California Grocers Association, National Grocers Association, National Frozen & Refrigerated Association, Saint Joseph’s and Western Michigan University’s Food Marketing Program, Global Market Development Center (GMDC) and Food for All. He is Chair of the FMI Meetings and Conferences Committee, in association with the FMI Industry Collaboration Council, and Chair of the WMU Advisory Board.

The CGA Educational Foundation Hall of Achievement recognizes the achievements of those individuals who, through their foresight and dedication, have enhanced California’s food distribution industry. Proceeds from the event help fund the Foundation’s college scholarship and tuition reimbursement programs. For the 2012-13 program year, the Foundation awarded 275 scholarships totaling $328,250. It expects to disperse $100,000 in tuition reimbursement.

“The Foundation appreciates the tremendous support it received from the grocery industry over the last 20 years,” said Shiloh London, executive director, CGA Educational Foundation. “Their generous donations allow the Foundation to achieve its mission of advancing the grocery industry through employee education, college scholarships and industry research projects.”

For more information on the Hall of Achievement log-on to www.cgaef.org or contact Brianne Page at (916) 448.3545.

# # #

The CGA Educational Foundation, a 501 (c)3 corporation, was created under the direction of the California Grocers Association Board of Directors in 1992 and is celebrating its 20th anniversary this year. Its mission is to provide financial assistance to advance the educational goals of CGA member company employees and their dependents and offer educational programs to advance the grocery industry.

The California Grocers Association, a statewide trade association representing the food industry since 1898, seeks a Membership Marketing Manager.

---

SUMMARY

Under the general direction of the Vice President of Business Development & Marketing, the Member Development Manager is responsible for expanding the Association’s member initiatives and promoting the benefits of Association involvement among existing & prospective companies in the retail grocery industry.

This energetic marketing professional will oversee the creation, promotion & delivery of various member programs, crafting regular, customized and compelling membership communications and initiating member outreach through in-person appointments and using traditional, electronic and social media. This position is also responsible for integrating communication activities across various departments of the organization to assure continuous, comprehensive and brand-supportive messaging. Other responsibilities include database mining, providing exceptional member service and regular reporting to senior management.

ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS

• Work with the Vice President and other senior management to identify and develop membership opportunities that align with the CGA’s objectives and achieve annual goals.
• Achieve revenue goals for the Association through annual membership retention & recruitment campaigns and promotion of Association events.
• Outreach to and educate members and prospective members about the role of the CGA and the impact of membership on their business.
• Provide outstanding customer service managing the membership services functions for existing members including maintaining accurate member database/contact information, annual invoicing and executing member benefits to assure strong renewals.
• Communicate with the department Vice President and other senior management on the status of a variety of membership and sponsorship initiatives.
• Prepare regular status reports.
  Represent the CGA with members at social events, conventions, openings, and galas, as required.
• Accomplish other duties as assigned by the Vice President of Business Development & Marketing.

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS

• Minimum 4 year college degree in business, marketing, communications or related subject
• Minimum 5 years relevant experience preferably working in a trade association or membership environment
• Outgoing & energetic personality
• Position requires excellent understanding and demonstrated experience with social networking and electronic mediums (web, twitter, facebook, youtube & linked in)
• Demonstrated ability to prioritize and manage multiple deadlines and tasks while being highly organized
• Strong background in delivering outstanding member service
• Computer literacy including familiarity with membership database management systems
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, including strong presentation skills in both a group and one-on-one setting
• Ability and willingness to work hours that exceed a typical Monday through Friday 40-hour work week, as required
• Valid California Driver’s license with proof of insurance
• Position requires independent judgment in the course of carrying out overall responsibilities.

SUPERVISES

None

PHYSICAL DEMANDS

Employee may experience the following physical demands for extended periods of time.

• View computer monitors
• Sitting
• Standing for community functions, presentations, trade shows, etc.
• Travel to other locations to represent CGA (5% – 10%)

WORK ENVIRONMENT

Work is performed in a corporate office environment.

The California Grocers Association provides medical, dental, and vision insurance for the employee and eligible dependents, and life insurance for the employee. The Association also provides a generous 401(k) program. The annual salary will be commensurate with experience.

The above information in this description has been designed to indicate the general nature and level of work performed by employees within this classification. It is not designed to contain or be interpreted as a comprehensive inventory of all duties, responsibilities and qualifications required of employees in this job.

Interested candidates should submit resume and cover letter to Stacey Swett at [email protected].

A sold out field of 144 grocery retailers, suppliers and wholesalers participated in this year’s CGA Educational Foundation Northern California Golf Classic and Illuminators Rally on Tuesday, July 24.

The golfers were greeted by perfect weather conditions in the low 80’s and a beautifully manicured course at the exclusive Blackhawk Country Club in Danville, CA.

During the afternoon awards reception, CGAEF Board of Trustees Chair Jim Van Gorkom, NuCal Foods, shared the Foundation’s programs with attendees, including information on scholarships and the upcoming Hall of Achievement dinner scheduled for October 18 at San Ramon Marriott.

The Foundation wishes to thank the sponsors listed below for their generous support of this year’s tournament. Proceeds from the event go to support the Foundation’s College Scholarship and Tuition Reimbursement programs.

Draeger’s Executive Addresses Attendees

Prior to the tournament, supplier and vendor attendees heard from Draeger’s Supermarkets executive Richard Draeger. Mr. Draeger shared highlights of the family’s century-long success in the grocery industry and strategies for the coming years.

The Foundation also wishes to thank The Illuminators for hosting the morning breakfast and Safeway Inc., and Bimbo Bakeries USA for providing lunch on the course.

Tournament Winners

1st Place
Brad Fischer
Tom Moody
Ivan Sohrakoff
Sean Hall

2nd Place
Mike Frauenhoffer
Matt Laukaitis
Steve Rempel
Kirsten Curtis

3rd Place
Phillip Costello
Jerry Jensen
Paul Kamholz
Wade Kennedy

Closest to the Pin

Women: Tracy Lape

Longest Drive

Women: Kirsten Curtis

Tournament Sponsors

Masters Sponsors

Anheuser-Busch InBev
Bimbo Bakeries USA
The Hershey Company
Jelly Belly Candy Co
Kellogg Company
Kraft Foods
Pepsi Beverages Company
SAP Retail
Unified Grocers, Inc.

Package Sponsors

C & S Wholesale Grocers
Coca-Cola Refreshments
ConAgra Foods
Dr. Pepper Snapple Group, Inc.
Fisher Printing
Food 4 Less/Rancho San Miguel Markets
MillerCoors
MOM Brands
NuCal Foods
Nutricion Fundamental, Inc.
Procter & Gamble
Snyder’s-Lance, Inc
Sugar Bowl Bakery
Taylor Farms
Unilever

Hole Sponsors

California Shopping Cart Retrieval Corp
DigiStream Investigations
Retail Solutions, Inc.
Safeway Inc.

Summer Sun Heats Up Tournament

More than 240 grocery retailers, suppliers and wholesalers participated in this year’s CGA Educational Foundation Southern California Golf Classic and Illuminators Rally. Warm weather greeted this year’s field with temperatures reaching into the mid-90s.

The tournament moved to a new location – Industry Hills Golf Club at Pacific Palms in Industry, CA – for the first time in more than a decade. Both courses, “Babe” and “Ike,” were in top shape for the event.

The Foundation wishes to thank the sponsors listed below for their generous support of this year’s tournament. Proceeds from the event go to support the Foundation’s College Scholarship and Tuition Reimbursement programs.

To highlight the Tuition Reimbursement program, the Foundation invited Stater Bros. Markets store manager Bill Kemper to share how the reimbursement program helped with his professional development.

The Foundation also wishes to thank The Illuminators for hosting the morning breakfast and Bristol Farms and Del Real Foods for providing lunch on the course.

Former NFL Star Addresses Attendees

Prior to the tournament, attendees heard from former NFL running back LaDainian Tomlinson. His presentation was sponsored by Kellogg Co. The two-time NFL rushing leader shared his life story including his years in the NFL.

In addition, Tomlinson discussed the importance of education and commended the Foundation for its ambitious educational programs, including providing college scholarships and tuition reimbursement.

Tournament Winners

Ike Course

1st Place
John Peters
Derek Dehdashtian
John Harb
Duane Moore

2nd Place
Dave Grosse
Ed Billings
Dave Dimond

3rd Place
Bob Lim
Frank Hopfinger
Paul Huddleston
Chuck Eckman

Closest To The Pin
Jeff Bloks

Longest Drive
Julia Bischoff
Brad Cooper

Babe Course

1st Place
Jim Amen
George Schmidt
Kathy Schmidt
Tyler Schmidt

2nd Place
Richard Horan
Dave Whitbeck
Kevin Rushing
Mike Frauenhoffer

3rd Place
Pat Posey
Adam Caldecott
Louis Fajardo
Steve Howard

Closest To The Pin
Pat Posey

Longest Drive
Silvia Quiroz
Nick Gauger

Tournament Sponsors

Masters Sponsors

Anheuser-Busch InBev
Bimbo Bakeries USA
Coca-Cola Refreshments
Jelly Belly Candy Company
Kellogg Company
Kraft Foods, Inc.
Pepsi Beverages Company
SAP Retail
The Hershey Company
Unified Grocers, Inc.

Package Sponsors

Beam Global
Big Saver Foods
C & S Wholesale Grocers
Cardenas Markets
Constellation Brands
Fresh Dairy Direct of So Cal
Frito-Lay, Inc.
Gelson’s Markets
Heineken USA
JTJ Sales
K.V. Mart Co
Mike’s Hard Lemonade
Mission Foods
MOM Brands
Moss Adams LLP
Nestle DSD
Processors Marketing & Research Inc
Red Bull North America
Rio Ranch Markets
Sanderson Farms
Sara Lee California
Snyder’s-Lance, Inc.
Southwind Foods/Great American Seafood
Steve Julius Construction
Super A Foods
SUPERVALU Wholesale
Trend Offset Printing
Whole Foods Market

Hole Sponsors

Boston Beer Co.
California Shopping Cart Retrieval Corp.
MillerCoors
PNC Bank
Ready Pac

Early last evening, the Secretary of State announced that enough signatures have been verified to qualify the Governor’s tax proposal for the November ballot. As of Wednesday afternoon, 923,674 of the more than 1,466,801 signatures submitted were found to be valid. Proponents needed 888,377 to earn a spot on the ballot without further review.

The proposal, which seeks to temporarily increase both the State sales tax and income taxes on high income earners, is a linchpin of the budget deal still being formulated in Sacramento. Both the Governor in his budget proposal, and legislative Democrats in their majority-vote budget sent to the Governor last week, assumed revenues from the yet-to-be-approved changes. Failure to qualify would have wreaked havoc on those plans and possibly forced Democrats to confront “trigger cuts” to education and public safety that will automatically occur if voters reject the proposal in November.

The Governor’s proposal joins an already crowded ballot which will feature at least one competing tax increase measure. The so-called “Munger Initiative” also qualified this afternoon, a development that some argue will reduce the Governor’s chances. That effort would raise the income tax on nearly every Californian to support new education programs. Today’s qualifications bring the total to 10 initiatives thus far with two remaining proposals still in the signature verification process.

CGA has supported the effort to place the proposal on the ballot before voters, but has not yet weighed in on the proposal itself. For more information, visit the Secretary of State’s web site.

California voters headed to the polls yesterday – in record low numbers – to decide the fate of two ballot initiatives and pick the top two in State Congressional and Legislative races, many of which won’t be resolved until November’s General election. Pundits will spend the coming weeks pouring over detailed returns to determine the impact of newly drawn district lines and a “top two” primary system on California’s governance. The night appears to have generated a few surprises and created some significant challenges for Democrats going into November.

Proposition 28 – Term Limits Modification – PASSED

Aye – 61.4%
No – 38.6%

Under the initiative, approved handily by voters, lawmakers will be limited to serving 12 years in the state house but will be able to serve all of those years in either house or in a combination of both houses. Current limits allow up to a total of 14 years of service but force lawmakers to leave the Assembly after 6 years and the Senate after 8. Proponents argued that the modification retains the best part of term limits while providing more stability.

Proposition 29 – Tobacco Tax (as of 4:43 AM on June 6) – TOO CLOSE TO CALL

Aye – 49.2%
No – 50.8%

Under the initiative, a new tobacco tax of $1 per pack of cigarettes (or an equivalent amount for other tobacco products) would be added to current taxes. Proceeds would be used to fund new research and health programs. Opponents had several vulnerabilities to exploit with the initiative, chief among them that the funds raised from the tax would not help California’s budget situation and in fact would not even necessarily be spent in California. It will likely be days before a final outcome is announced by the Secretary of State.

Legislative Races

As expected, results from primary contests set up significant battles in November that could see Democrats gain a 2/3 super-majority in the State Senate but also could see more moderate Democrats join the Assembly in 2013. California’s new top two primary system will see nearly two dozen November contests feature two candidates of the same political party, and five will feature one independent candidate squaring off against a major party representative. As of Wednesday morning, the Secretary of State classified nearly a dozen legislative contests too close to call, meaning the full impact of the top two won’t be fully known for several days.

Congressional Races

The make-up of California’s Congressional delegation could change come November with four incumbent Democrats pulling in fewer votes in the primary than Republican challengers and one rising Democrat star failing to make the top two in a District that will stay safe in Republican hands. On the flip side, at least one Democrat considered vulnerable far exceeded expectations with pundits speculating that Republicans will now shift focus elsewhere in November.

For more information on Tuesday’s election, visit the Secretary of State’s web site or e-mail CGA’s Vice President of Government Relations, Keri Askew Bailey.

SACRAMENTO, CA – (June 4, 2012) – The California Grocers Association Educational Foundation announced today the hiring of Shiloh London as its first Executive Director, effective immediately.

As Executive Director, London will provide leadership in implementing the Foundation’s strategic plan, developing and managing educational programs, overseeing fundraising and creating greater awareness for the Foundation within California’s grocery industry.

“We are very pleased to bring Shiloh on board,” said CGA Educational Foundation President Ronald Fong. “With the difficult economic climate we’re experiencing and increased educational costs, it’s the Foundation’s goal to significantly expand its industry education, college scholarship and tuition reimbursement offerings. The Board of Trustees believed it was time to hire an Executive Director to accomplish this key Foundation objective.”

Prior to this new role, London’s professional experience included serving as Executive Director, Business Development for the Foundation for California Community Colleges and as Senior Campaign Director for United Way California Capital Region.

“In 2011, the Foundation’s Board of Trustees developed a multi-year strategic plan to greatly expand our educational program,” said CGAEF Board of Trustees Chair Jim Van Gorkom. “We then recognized the need for additional resources and expertise to build upon the solid programming established by the founding trustees. Bringing Shiloh aboard during our 20th anniversary is excellent timing. We are excited to have her join the Foundation, and confident she will move us forward in achieving our goals.”

Fong said London will be responsible for ensuring that California Grocers Association members have access to relevant educational training and ensuring that the industry’s future workforce needs are met through public education and postsecondary educational institutions.

The CGA Educational Foundation was created under the direction of the California Grocers Association Board of Directors in 1992 and is celebrating its 20th anniversary. Its mission is to provide financial assistance to advance the educational goals of CGA member employees and their dependents and offer educational programs to advance the grocery industry.