The political and economic events in 2009 have marked a fundamental and unpredicted change for our country. Today’s economy has an enormous impact on people’s opinions regarding leadership and how people are living their own lives. Most Americans are concerned about what decisions the current administration will make and how those decisions will impact the United States at home and abroad. Budget crunches, unemployment, healthcare and the strengthening economy are just a few issues that will be top of mind for American citizens in the years to come and topics that will be discussed at this year’s opening keynote session.
N.G.A. President and CEO Tom Zaucha has moderated the opening keynote session with a “Who’s Who” of national leaders and commentators for 28 years. This year he continued this tradition with our nation’s 43rd President of the United States, George W. Bush.
As President, George W. Bush worked to expand freedom, opportunity and security at home and abroad. The most significant event of President Bush’s tenure came on September 11, 2001, when terrorists killed nearly 3,000 people on American soil. President Bush responded with a comprehensive strategy to protect the American people. He led the most dramatic reorganization of the federal government since the beginning of the Cold War, reforming the intelligence community and establishing new institutions like the Department of Homeland Security. He built global coalitions to remove violent regimes in Afghanistan and Iraq that threatened America-liberating more than 50 million people from tyranny. Recognizing that freedom and hope are the best alternative to the extremist ideology of the terrorists, he provided unprecedented American support for young democracies and dissidents in the Middle East, Eastern Europe, and elsewhere.
His first initiative as President was the No Child Left Behind Act, a bipartisan measure that raised standards in schools, insisted on accountability in return for federal dollars and led to measurable gains in achievement-especially among minority students. Faced with a recession when he took office, President Bush cut taxes for every federal income taxpayer, which helped lead to an unprecedented 52 straight months of job creation. President Bush modernized Medicare by adding a prescription drug benefit that provided access to needed medicine for 40 million seniors and other beneficiaries.
Wednesday, February 10 10:30 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.
Marketplace Leadership and Innovation: Companies That Make A Difference The U.S. consumer experience is dramatically different today than it was a year ago. The difficult economy that we are experiencing has very real implications for consumers. Half of lower income shoppers are having trouble purchasing the groceries that they need. More consumers are cooking from scratch; food departments providing basic meal preparation essentials are gaining market share – but nonessentials are struggling. Consumers are making more tradeoffs in their purchasing behavior; consumer channel migration is undergoing dramatic shifts and private label programs are proliferating. So how is your business performing and what does the future marketplace look like? This session profiled a cross section of winning retailers who continue to successfully make a difference in their marketplace.
The program showcased operations of the 2010 winners:
Kraft Foods, Inc. Entrepreneurial Excellence Award named for the N.G.A. President and CEO, Tom Zaucha;
The Excellence in Advertising and in Merchandising Award Winners for the N.G.A. Creative Choice Awards; and
The Progressive Grocers Community-Based Retailer, Regional Retailer and Wholesaler of the year award winners.
To round out the program Tom Szaky, co-founder and CEO of TerraCycle, Inc., discussed why sustainability is good business practice for today’s progressive companies. A producer of the world’s first products made and packaged from other companies waste, TerraCycle is the leader in upcycling. With sponsored waste partnerships with America’s biggest brands, ranging from Capri Sun to Oreo to Stonyfield Yogurt, its products are distributed in America’s biggest retailers. Their business plan is simple; recycle stuff that people either don’t value or, in many cases, give a negative value to, into usable products. Phil Lempert, the Supermarket Guru and food editor of the NBC Today Show, provided an overview of our winning companies’ operations and had them explain what makes their companies innovative and successful.
Thursday, February 11 10:30 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.
We All Answer to Someone: Leadership Up and Down The grocery industry is in the midst of a radical transformation which requires exceptional leadership skills from today’s executives. Each of us answers to someone, even the most senior leaders. CEOs answer to stockholders, politicians answer to the electorate and soldiers answer to their superiors. With increasing financial, competitive and regulatory pressures, the independent food industry faces one of the most challenging and competitive business environments in recent memory. It is imperative that in these challenging times genuine leaders develop an abiding responsibility to mentor and motivate.
Recently the need for leadership and the difficulty of providing such a need has grown considerably because of the increased complexity of our world. With more than 40 years of military leadership experience as his guide, General Peter Pace, USMC (Ret.), will discuss the importance of answering both up and down; the need to check your own moral compass in order to make ethical decisions; and how to navigate between an organization’s vision and your own personal goals. In this session we will also recognize N.G.A. members who have served in the military as well as those who participated in this years Grocers Care Program. N.G.A., through its Grocers Care Program, once again partnered with the White House Commission on Remembrance to honor those who have made the ultimate sacrifice by supporting the National Moment of Remembrance.
Entrusted with the security of the U.S. and its allies around the globe, General Pace has an expert understanding of every threat, both known and potential. He provided the President of the United States with his best military advice on how to deal with each of these threats. Pace displays his comprehensive knowledge of global security in a compelling presentation, giving audiences a picture of what America’s enemies are planning. He discusses a range of responses that reach beyond military might to leverage all aspects of America’s national power, in a way that will better prepare the country for a broad spectrum of potential threats. Pace’s lengthy military career includes his leadership roles as the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Commander-in-Chief of the United States Southern Command and combat in Vietnam, where being under fire helped him learn valuable lessons about having a moral compass to decide on a true course of action. Suggesting you have two things no one can take away from you—your name and your integrity—Pace gives insight into how integrity and a moral code matter everywhere, on the battlefield, in the boardroom and in life.
The political and economic events in 2009 have marked a fundamental and unpredicted change for our country. Today’s economy has an enormous impact on people’s opinions regarding leadership and how people are living their own lives. Most Americans are concerned about what decisions the current administration will make and how those decisions will impact the United States at home and abroad. Budget crunches, unemployment, healthcare and the strengthening economy are just a few issues that will be top of mind for American citizens in the years to come and topics that will be discussed at this year’s opening keynote session. 
The U.S. consumer experience is dramatically different today than it was a year ago. The difficult economy that we are experiencing has very real implications for consumers. Half of lower income shoppers are having trouble purchasing the groceries that they need. More consumers are cooking from scratch; food departments providing basic meal preparation essentials are gaining market share – but nonessentials are struggling. Consumers are making more tradeoffs in their purchasing behavior; consumer channel migration is undergoing dramatic shifts and private label programs are proliferating. So how is your business performing and what does the future marketplace look like? This session profiled a cross section of winning retailers who continue to successfully make a difference in their marketplace. 
leadership skills from today’s executives. Each of us answers to someone, even the most senior leaders. CEOs answer to stockholders, politicians answer to the electorate and soldiers answer to their superiors. With increasing financial, competitive and regulatory pressures, the independent food industry faces one of the most challenging and competitive business environments in recent memory. It is imperative that in these challenging times genuine leaders develop an abiding responsibility to mentor and motivate. 