NACS Announces New Supplier Board Members

ALEXANDRIA, Va. -- Jim Powers and Steve Wolke lead the slate of new officers elected to lead the National Association of Convenience Stores (NACS) Supplier Board, according to the association. The election took place during its annual NACS Show last month in Chicago, where more than 22,000 attendees participated in the NACS Show 2003 from Oct. 17-20, 2003.

The NACS Supplier Board is comprised of 23 members including three retail members of NACS Board of Directors who serve as liaisons to the Supplier Board.

Powers is serving a one-year term as 2003-04 chairman of NACS' Supplier Board. He is vice president of convenience outlets for US Nutrition Inc. (formerly known as MET-Rx/Rexall Sundown), a manufacturer of vitamins, herbals, nutritional supplements and consumer health products. In 2003, Nature's Bounty acquired Rexall Sundown and is continuing to focus on the convenience channel with its "good for you" products.

Powers has been actively involved in the convenience industry for the past 15 years. Prior to joining MET-Rx, he was vice president of national accounts for Tropicana, as well as vice president and general manager for the convenience channel. Powers also has held various management positions with Pillsbury, Beatrice Cos., and Embassy Dairy.

In addition to work with NACS, Powers is chair-elect of the National Convenience Store Advisory Group and is a member of the Convenience Store Education Council and its board. He attended Hartwick College and Syracuse University, with his principal studies in math and marketing. Powers and his wife Lilli live in Bradenton, FL.

Steve Wolke is serving a one-year term as chairman-elect of the association's Supplier Board before becoming its 2004-05 chairman. He is vice president of customer development for PepsiCo., Inc. Wolke began his career with Oscar Mayer & Company in 1975. He has been with PepsiCo since 1983, serving in a number of positions for Frito-Lay and PepsiCo.

Wolke earned a B.S. in business administration, with a major in marketing, from Auburn University. He is a resident of Arlington, TX.

The NACS Supplier Board also elected three vice chairs:

Joe Bivona, vice president of customer relations, Time, Inc., Retail, a division of Time Warner (Stratford, Conn.)
Joe Burke, vice president of customer business development for Coca-Cola Enterprises Inc. (Atlanta, Ga.)
Ron Coppel, vice president of business development for Eby-Brown Company LLC (Naperville, Ill.)

In addition, Jennie Jones, senior sales manager with Sara Lee Coffee and Tea, and Rich Libonate, vice president of national accounts for the Snapple Beverage Group, were elected as new members of the NACS Supplier Board.

The NACS Supplier Board represents NACS' Supplier members and the mutual concerns of NACS' Retail and Supplier Members, serves as an organized voice for supplier members in the affairs of NACS, serves as a resource as called upon by NACS or the NACS Board of Directors and collaborates with NACS and its retail members toward the achievement of its strategic initiatives.
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