Ron Fong Named a Most Admired CEO by Sacramento Business Journal

Posted on January 30, 2024March 27, 2024 by Grace Becker

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President and CEO of California Grocers Association Ron Fong was named a Most Admired CEO for 2024 by Sacramento Business Journal. The award celebrates and recognizes local CEOs who have positively impacted their respective industries and contributed to the growth and success of Sacramento’s greater business community.

Honorees are selected by a peer group of CEOs, comprised of last year’s honorees, external nominations, and nominations by Sacramento Business Journal staff, that identifies influential local CEOs.

“Ron is a champion of the grocery industry in California and respected voice in the capitol community,” said CGA COO and Senior Vice President Doug Scholz. “This recognition from the Sacramento Business Journal is well deserved.”

The award comes as Ron begins his 16th year at the helm of CGA. During his tenure at CGA, Ron is credited with overhauling the government relations program, including the appointment of a new veteran lobbying and political team. In 2020, Governor Gavin Newsom appointed Ron to serve on his bi-partisan Task Force on Business and Jobs Recovery to help plan the state’s economic recovery following the financial calamity resulting from COVID-19. Ron also serves as President to the CGA Educational Foundation, which supports education opportunities for grocery industry workers, and oversees the Foundation’s expanding education, research, career development, and college scholarship programs.

Ron was honored alongside 20 other honorees at the Most Admired CEOs awards ceremony on March 7, 2024 in Sacramento. Honorees include: Kenn Altine, Sacramento SPCA; Derek Chase, OnSight Technology Inc.; Ethan Conrad, Ethan Conrad Properties; Brad DesJardin, DesCor Builders; Dawnté Early, United Way California Capital Region; Linda Farley, Girl Scouts Heart of Central California; Ronald Fong, California Grocers Association; Ginger Elizabeth Hahn, Ginger Elizabeth Chocolates; Lisa Hausmann, Mercy Hospital Folsom, Dignity Health; Preet Kuar, Pacific Staffing; Shobha Mallarapu, Anvaya Solutions Inc.; Heather Mauel, Dutch Bros Coffee Gold Country; Tony Moayed, Tricorp Group; Mymy Nguyen, Saigon Alley Kitchen & Bar; Michael Strech, North State Building Industry Association; Darrell Teat Jr., The Safety Center; Kim Tucker, Impact Foundry; Ali Wing, Oobli Inc.; and Rachel Zillner, Clutch.

View the Sacramento Business Journal press release here.

CGA President Inducted Into Hall of Fame

Posted on April 19, 2018March 4, 2019 by Lynn Melillo

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California Grocers Association President & Chief Executive Officer Ron Fong was one of five grocery executives to be inducted into the Food Industry Sales Association (FISA) Hall of Fame on April 12, 2018, during a gala dinner in Danville, Calif.

Also inducted were Joe Falvey, SuperValu/Market Centre; Kevin Konkel, Raley’s; Steve Junqueiro, Save Mart Companies (retired) and Bob Wilson (posthumously), Dreyer’s Grand Ice Cream.

Nearly 300 family, friends and associates attended the event at the prestigious Blackhawk Museum. A family member or work associate introduced each inductee. Introducing CGA President Ron Fong was his son Jaden, a senior at Jesuit High School in Carmichael, Calif.

In accepting the award, Fong recognized the tremendous contributions all four inductees have made to California’s grocery industry and their involvement with CGA. Both Konkel and Falvey served as chair of the CGA Board of Directors. Junqueiro and Wilson, who passed away in 2016, were also previously inducted into the CGA Educational Foundation Hall of Achievement.

Fong is the first non-retailer to be inducted into the FISA Hall of Fame, since its first inductee, Tom Raley, Raley’s, received the award in 1979. Members of the CGA, CGA Educational Foundation and Retail Marketing Service boards were in attendance. “I can’t thank our board members enough for coming out to support this worthy association and the inductees for tonight’s Hall of Fame,” said Fong. “They all made the night special.”

“This is a very prestigious honor, and I’m very humbled to be selected along with Bob Wilson as the first non-retailers to enter this elite group of grocery icons,” said Fong. “I congratulate my fellow inductees. They are all very deserving of this award.”

Proceeds from the dinner fund the FISA’s Scholarship Program, which annually provides scholarships to deserving students from retailer and FISA member families who exhibit leadership in school and community activities and demonstrate superior scholastic achievement.

FISA is a not-for-profit organization of Northern California retail food industry sales managers and brokers. Its mission is to encourage positive working relationships in the grocery community while providing annual scholarships.

Click here for event photos.

Fong Receives National Award

Posted on April 11, 2018March 4, 2019 by Lynn Melillo

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Ronald Fong Honored with NGA Association Leadership Award

April 11, 2018 – Arlington, VA – The National Grocers Association (NGA) today presented Ronald Fong, California Grocers Association (CGA) President and CEO with its Association Leadership Award for his commitment and service to the independent supermarket industry.

“On behalf of the independent supermarket industry, I am pleased to honor and recognize Ron for his talent and dedication for the independent supermarket industry. Ron has been a passionate and enthusiastic industry leader throughout his career in his government relations work and successfully helping CGA to grow its membership,” said Peter J. Larkin, president and CEO, NGA.

Fong assumed the reigns of CGA as President and Chief Executive Officer on March 31, 2008. CGA serves a large and diverse membership comprised of 400 retail members, which includes national and regional grocery chains, independent operators, convenience stores and grocery wholesalers, and over 150 manufacturers and suppliers. As CGA’s president and CEO he is responsible the association’s strategic direction and staff which includes departments in government relations, communications and business conferences. He is also President to the CGA Educational Foundation, which funds college scholarships and tuition reimbursement to member employees and their family members.

During his tenure at CGA, Fong worked to defeat California’s Proposition 37, the mandatory GMO labeling for grocery retail, the passage of SB 270, the first statewide plastic bag ban, and most notably, he successfully navigated the merger of the California Independent Grocers Association into CGA while ensuring that a strong voice for the state’s independent operators would be maintained.

Fong joined the association 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.

NGA initiated this award over a decade ago to honor and recognize state association executives who work tirelessly in their states on behalf of the independent supermarket industry.

Past recipients of this special recognition include Kathy Kuzava, President of the Georgia Food Industry Association, Tom Woodmansee, former president of the North Dakota Grocers Association, Brandon Scholz, President and CEO of the Wisconsin Grocers Association; Jan Gee, president and CEO of the Washington Food Industry Association; Kathy Siefken, executive director of the Nebraska Grocery Industry Association; Jim Olsen, president of the Food Industry Association Executives; Tom Jackson, former president/CEO of the Ohio Grocers Association; Dan Shaul, state director of the Missouri Grocers Association; Jim Rogers, retired president and CEO of the Food Industry Alliance of New York; Pat Hicks, retired executive director Kentucky Grocers Association; and Jerry Fleagle, former president and CEO Iowa Grocery Industry Association.

Photo (l to r): Aaron Moreno, CGA; Kevin Davis, Bristol Farms; Leslie Sarasin, FMI, Ron Fong, CGA; Peter Larkin, NGA; Stacia Levenfeld, Save Mart Supermarkets; Kate Stille, Nugget Markets