Keynote Rich Bracken on Emotional Intelligence

We are thrilled to unveil our first speaker for the upcoming Independent Operators Symposium, Rich Bracken, Director of Strategic Partnerships at Foundry.

Rich will lead a discussion on “Effective Leadership Through Emotional Intelligence” to uncover game-changing tools to improve job performance, develop resilience, and benefit your business. A keynote speaker, author, and professor of leadership, Rich influences leaders and global companies, ranging from small businesses to Fortune 100 companies, through his dynamic keynote speeches.

Be the Disruptor with Mike Maddock

Our second Symposium speaker, “disruptor” Mike Maddock, CEO and Founding Partner, Maddock Douglas.

Mike will reveal to guests the ways renowned leaders successfully “disrupt” and how you can, too, can become a disruptor in the fast-changing world of business. Mike’s passion for solving problems with disrupting ideas led him to establish Maddock Douglas, Inc., now an internationally recognized innovation consultancy that has helped more than 25% of the Fortune 100 create and launch new products, services, and business models.

About Symposium

Symposium guests will have the opportunity to unplug and reset with insightful speakers and moderated share group discussions. We hope you will join us from January 9-16, 2022 at the Four Seasons Resort, O’ahu at Ko Olina to connect with industry peers and get inspired for the year of business ahead.

Registration is open. Download your form here.

For questions, please email Beth Wright, Sr. Director, Events & Sponsorship, or call (916) 228-4424.

California grocers have proven to be community pillars throughout the pandemic.

This rings true for Southern California retailer Northgate Gonzalez Market, which has offered outstanding support to its community of largely low-income, Spanish-speaking shoppers over the past 21 months.  In efforts to simplify the endless stream of conflicting information around the virus, Northgate convened a COVID-19 Vaccine Committee to provide education and vaccine access to associates and community members. Now, the committee has hosted over 150 vaccine clinics and helped vaccinate over 8,000 individuals. The committee also coordinates transportation to vaccine appointments and creates Spanish-language PSAs and messaging to keep community members informed and build trust in the latest guidance.

For its thoughtful solutions to the public health crisis, Northgate won FMI’s 2021 Community Uplift Award in the category of Neighborhood Health Development programs. 

Read more about Northgate Gonzalez Market’s efforts to keep its community safe here.

In mid-October, dozens of independent grocers and suppliers tee’d-off at Foxtail Golf Course in Santa Rosa, Calif.

Members of California’s independent grocery community enjoyed a day out on the greens, along with the chance to reconnect in person through a bit of healthy competition.

Thank you to our sponsors for making this day out of the office possible!

Check out highlights from the tournament below.

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Keynote Rich Bracken on Emotional Intelligence

We are thrilled to unveil our first speaker for the upcoming Independent Operators Symposium, Rich Bracken, Director of Strategic Partnerships at Foundry.

Rich will lead a discussion on “Effective Leadership Through Emotional Intelligence” to uncover game-changing tools to improve job performance, develop resilience, and benefit your business. A keynote speaker, author, and professor of leadership, Rich influences leaders and global companies, ranging from small businesses to Fortune 100 companies, through his dynamic keynote speeches.

Symposium allows for a necessary break from the screen to power off and renew your creativity. We hope you will join us from January 9-16, 2022 at the Four Seasons Resort, O’ahu at Ko Olina to unplug, connect with industry peers and partners, and get inspired to bring the best to your business in the new year.

Registration is open. Download your form here.

For questions, please email Beth Wright, Sr. Director, Events & Sponsorship, or call (916) 228-4424.

EMERGING BETTER TOGETHER

Following a safe and successful Strategic Conference in Palm Springs where members discovered how to emerge from the past year’s challenges together and stronger than ever, Issue 3 of California Grocer celebrates central themes from Conference and showcases the best and brightest of the industry.

CGAEF’s 2021 Legends of the Industry scholarship winner, Michael Weir, Assistant Manager of Smart & Final in Bakersfield, reveals his approach to balance under pressure. Keynote speaker Bruce Kirkby shares his perspective on grit versus grind and how to use purpose, practice, and process to improve an organization’s performance.  CGA Chair Hee-Sook Nelson recaps our recent Leadership Summit in Santa Barbara where attendees looked ahead to the Association’s 5-year strategic vision. As the Independent Operators Symposium approaches this January, NGA President and CEO, Greg Ferrara, sheds light on the strength and impact of independent operators in grocery today.

Read Issue 3 here.

Registration is now open for the 2022 Symposium

The 2022 Independent Operators Symposium allows for a much needed break from the screen to power off and renew your creativity. 

The past year has emphasized how adaptable and resilient our industry is in the face of uncertain supply chains and rising prices. We have learned to not take past predictability for granted as we consistently show up as an industry. While our industry continues to provide essential support to our communities through an ever-changing landscape, Symposium gives us the opportunity to take a pause and get inspired to kickstart 2022.

We invite you to join us January 9-16, 2022, at the Four Seasons Resort, O’ahu at Ko Olina to unplug, connect with industry peers and partners, and boot up for the year ahead. Give yourself the space to make the next year a great one.

The Symposium offers a restorative week chock full of enlightening speakers and moderated share group discussions in a transformative setting to reset your mind, invigorate your spirit and bring the best to your business in the new year.

Registration is open. Download your form below.

For questions, please email Beth Wright, Sr. Director, Events & Sponsorship, or call (916) 228-4424. 

In a new interview with Winsight Grocery Business, CGA President and CEO Ron Fong updates the wider grocery community on the California perspective — what issues are keeping grocers up at night, the regulatory landscape, and the supply chain.

Read the full story here.

In Issue 1 we share the latest research on the future of retail, explore the world of Pop Up Grocer, and meet Cal Recycle’s new director.

The first California Grocer issue of 2021 is available now in its print and digital editions, and it’s an issue that truly seeks to set the pace for the year ahead.

Featuring the first column from CGA’s new board chair, Hee-Sook Nelson, we learn why grit is an essential characteristic of the grocery community. It’s also a trait that’s been on full display during the pandemic.

In Issue 1 you’ll also find an article surveying retail consultants, who share opinions on the trends that will still be shaping retail after the pandemic. Another feature story includes an interview with Cal Recycle’s new director, Rachel Wagoner. Finally, we burst into the lively, full-color aesthetically-driven retailer which is Pop Up Grocer.

Read the issue online here.

Margo Downs, Ben Nemtin, and Cam Marston will share characteristics essential for shaping your post-pandemic life

After more than a year living through the Covid-19 pandemic, the Association and its independent grocery community are excited to be returning to the Big Island this June.

If you’re like us, the state’s reopening date, plus the expanded access to Covid-19 vaccines, is cause for considering what we can expect from the near future. Is a new “Roaring 20s” just around the corner? Do we face a more protracted struggle against coronavirus? What is the “new normal” anyways?

Independent Operators Symposium featured speakers Margo Downs, Ben Nemtin, and Cam Marston offer a jumping-off point.

Resiliency and optimism are two inter-related characteristics that can guide us into 2021 and beyond. Having shaped innovative people strategies at Stitch Fix, Starbucks, and Lululemon, Downs knows a thing or two about why optimism is the secret to culture. And optimism isn’t only about a sunny outlook. Symposium participants will hear about Nemtin’s unique journey that saw him star in MTV’s “The Buried Life” where he and his best friends relied upon resiliency to surmount seemingly impossible social and personal obstacles.

New! CGA has added a third speaker to our 2021 IOS lineup. Cam Marston is the leading expert on the impact of generational change and its impact on the workplace and marketplace. As an author, columnist, blogger, and lecturer, he imparts a clear understanding of how generational demographics are changing the landscape of business. In his segment Marston will explain the dynamics of having five generations in the workforce simultaneously.

Read more about this year’s featured speakers. And if you haven’t yet booked your Symposium stay, more information can be found on the 2021 IOS event page.

SACRAMENTO, CA (April 2, 2021) – The California Grocers Association (CGA) and Fresh Produce & Floral Council (FPFC) have agreed to form a new partnership, further linking the state’s grocery retail community and California produce and floral suppliers.

Through this joint effort the organizations will collaborate to grow membership, promote industry events, and share advertising and marketing opportunities.

“Produce plays a vital role in the way consumers eat and how the grocery industry serves its customers,” said Doug Scholz, Sr. Vice President, Business Development and Marketing. “This relationship offers our grocery community the chance to build a greater connection to these important grocery partners.

The first-ever agreement between the two organizations, the partnership also includes reciprocal information sharing and elevated marketing opportunities.

“We’re thrilled to be solidifying the on-ramp between produce and floral companies and the grocery retail industry,” said Don Gann, FPFC Executive Director. “California’s produce and floral providers are essential to the state’s food marketplace, and through this partnership, I’m confident we’ll foster a thriving link between FPFC and CGA.” 

FPFC 20201 Chairman Sean McClure of Professional Produce stated his excitement “We are looking forward to offering this newly formed partnership of both Association members to expand relations, develop educational content, and connect with additional retail executives, purchasing teams, and companies in the Fresh Produce and Floral industry.” 

While CGA’s primary focus is on government relations, FPFC is known for its events and networking opportunities. Leaders in both organizations believe these attributes are complimentary as they work to grow their associations in tandem.

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The California Grocers Association is a non-profit, statewide trade association representing the food industry since 1898. CGA membership includes approximately 300 retail companies operating more than 6,000 stores in California and Nevada, and approximately 200 grocery supplier companies.

The mission of the Fresh Produce & Floral Council is to connect members to the information, education and professional network they need to increase knowledge, grow their businesses and collectively advance the industry. Our members include growers, shippers, wholesalers, brokers, distributors and retailers of produce and/or floral items.