PEOPLE NEWS

The Pantry Inc., which is based in Sanford, N.C., and operates a chain 1,361 convenience stores under the banners of Kangaroo Express, The Pantry, Golden Gallon and Lil Champ Food Store, announced that its board of directors appointed Bryan E. Monkhouse to serve as a director of the company. The addition of Monkhouse fills a vacancy on the Board and brings its total membership back to nine.

Monkhouse was chief operating officer of Irving Oil Ltd., a privately held petroleum refiner and marketer serving New England and eastern Canada, from 2001 to 2003. Previously, he was responsible for Irving's marketing operations, including approximately 800 convenience stores. Earlier in his career, Monkhouse was an executive with Suncor Inc., an integrated oil company based in Calgary, where he held senior positions in corporate development and marketing. Currently, he is chairman of a privately held tourism business and consults on strategic investments in the petroleum industry.

Monkhouse holds a bachelor of science degree from the University of Waterloo and an M.A. degree from Carleton University. He also has completed the Stanford Executive Program at Stanford Business School.

Peter J. Sodini, president and CEO of The Pantry, commented, "We are very pleased to welcome Bryan as a new board member. He brings with him a broad base of knowledge and experience spanning the petroleum and convenience retailing sectors, and I am confident that he will provide valuable perspective as we pursue our long-term growth strategies."

Moving north, Canastota, N.Y.-based Nice N Easy Grocery Shoppes, which operates more than 80 convenience stores in upstate New York, hired Samuel A. Magari Jr. as produce manager. Magari will oversee the fresh produce program now being offered in several Nice N Easy locations.

Magari brings with him more than 20 years of retail produce experience at P&C Food Markets and the Penn Traffic Company. While at P&C, Magari held various positions including produce buyer, produce supervisor and director of produce merchandising for the New England division, as well as grocery buyer/merchandiser and unit price coordinator. He also earned the Western New York Apple Growers Certificate of Appreciation.

For the past several years, Nice N Easy has concentrated on its fresh food presentation, and now with the addition of Magari, it is putting greater emphasis on produce offerings in many of its stores. According to John MacDougall, Nice N Easy president and CEO, “We are excited about the new produce program available in many of our stores, and with Sam Magari's extensive experience in this area, we know he will have a positive impact. Our customers will be assured of the finest quality fresh produce, providing them with further shopping convenience. We welcome Sam to our Nice N Easy family.”

Magari graduated from Syracuse University, where he earned a B.A. in history. He currently resides in East Syracuse, N.Y.
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