The Pennsylvania Food Merchants Association (PFMA) announced its new officers and board of directors during the association’s annual meeting, May 13, in Bedford, Pennsylvania.
The new officers are: Chairman Paul Rankin, Country Fair, Inc.; Vice Chairman Jeffrey Brown, Brown’s Super Stores, Inc.; Treasurer Richard Wood III, Wawa, Inc.; and Secretary Tom Cormier, Ahold USA.
“We are very fortunate to have strong leaders serving as officers of the association,” said David McCorkle, PFMA president and CEO. “Their counsel, support and industry knowledge are vital to developing strong positions and presenting a unified voice on state and federal issues.”
Paul Rankin
Paul Rankin will serve as PFMA chairman for a two-year term. He is vice president of retail marketing for United Refining Company and manages Country Fair, Inc., the company’s 75-store convenience chain headquartered in Erie, Pennsylvania. Country Fair, which is celebrating its 50th anniversary, operates stores throughout northwestern Pennsylvania, western New York and eastern Ohio.
He graduated from the University of Kansas with a Bachelor’s degree in history and a Master’s degree in business administration.
Jeffrey Brown
Jeffrey Brown, founder, president and CEO of Brown’s Super Stores, Inc., Westville, New Jersey, will serve as vice chairman. He operates 11 ShopRite supermarkets in the Philadelphia and southern New Jersey region.
He is an officer and director of Wakefern Food Corporation, the marketing and distribution arm for ShopRite, and serves as chairman of Wakefern’s Strategic Planning Capitalization effort and insurance committee.
In addition to PFMA, Brown serves as a director for the New Jersey Food Council and vice chairman of the Philadelphia Youth Network.
Brown has received national recognition for his work to meet the needs of impoverished communities and help solve the “food desert” crisis. In addition, he is the founder and chairman of UpLift Solutions, a 501(c)(3) national nonprofit organization that supports food businesses, government and nonprofits to create sustainable environments for underserved communities.
Richard Wood III
Richard Wood III,Richard Wood III, sustainability and government relations manager for Wawa, Inc., Wawa, Pennsylvania, moves into the treasurer position. The great-great grandson of Wawa Dairy founder George Wood, Rich Wood joined the family business in 1992 as a marketing analyst. Through the years, he has worked in positions such as a store manager, store supervisor, human resources manager, brand development manager for beverages and marketing vendor process manager.
Wood earned his Executive Masters of Food Marketing from Saint Joseph’s University, and his Bachelor of Arts degree from Washington College in Chestertown, Maryland.
Wawa operates more than 645 convenience stores and employs 22,000 associates throughout areas of New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Delaware, Maryland, Virginia and Florida.
Thomas Cormier
The newest board officer is Thomas Cormier, director of government affairs for Ahold USA, Inc., parent company for Giant Food Stores, LLC. Cormier, who has more than 31 years experience with Ahold USA, will serve as secretary. Through the years he has risen to jobs of increased responsibility including: assistant manager, store manager, district manager and regional vice president of operations.
Cormier participates in a number of food industry associations on the national, state and local levels, including Chambers of Commerce, retail merchants and food associations.
Ahold USA operates supermarkets in 12 states along the east coast from Richmond, Virginia through New England. In addition, the company operates Peapod, an online grocery home delivery company.
The new officers are: Chairman Paul Rankin, Country Fair, Inc.; Vice Chairman Jeffrey Brown, Brown’s Super Stores, Inc.; Treasurer Richard Wood III, Wawa, Inc.; and Secretary Tom Cormier, Ahold USA.
“We are very fortunate to have strong leaders serving as officers of the association,” said David McCorkle, PFMA president and CEO. “Their counsel, support and industry knowledge are vital to developing strong positions and presenting a unified voice on state and federal issues.”
Paul Rankin
Paul Rankin will serve as PFMA chairman for a two-year term. He is vice president of retail marketing for United Refining Company and manages Country Fair, Inc., the company’s 75-store convenience chain headquartered in Erie, Pennsylvania. Country Fair, which is celebrating its 50th anniversary, operates stores throughout northwestern Pennsylvania, western New York and eastern Ohio.
He graduated from the University of Kansas with a Bachelor’s degree in history and a Master’s degree in business administration.
Jeffrey Brown
Jeffrey Brown, founder, president and CEO of Brown’s Super Stores, Inc., Westville, New Jersey, will serve as vice chairman. He operates 11 ShopRite supermarkets in the Philadelphia and southern New Jersey region.
He is an officer and director of Wakefern Food Corporation, the marketing and distribution arm for ShopRite, and serves as chairman of Wakefern’s Strategic Planning Capitalization effort and insurance committee.
In addition to PFMA, Brown serves as a director for the New Jersey Food Council and vice chairman of the Philadelphia Youth Network.
Brown has received national recognition for his work to meet the needs of impoverished communities and help solve the “food desert” crisis. In addition, he is the founder and chairman of UpLift Solutions, a 501(c)(3) national nonprofit organization that supports food businesses, government and nonprofits to create sustainable environments for underserved communities.
Richard Wood III
Richard Wood III,Richard Wood III, sustainability and government relations manager for Wawa, Inc., Wawa, Pennsylvania, moves into the treasurer position. The great-great grandson of Wawa Dairy founder George Wood, Rich Wood joined the family business in 1992 as a marketing analyst. Through the years, he has worked in positions such as a store manager, store supervisor, human resources manager, brand development manager for beverages and marketing vendor process manager.
Wood earned his Executive Masters of Food Marketing from Saint Joseph’s University, and his Bachelor of Arts degree from Washington College in Chestertown, Maryland.
Wawa operates more than 645 convenience stores and employs 22,000 associates throughout areas of New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Delaware, Maryland, Virginia and Florida.
Thomas Cormier
The newest board officer is Thomas Cormier, director of government affairs for Ahold USA, Inc., parent company for Giant Food Stores, LLC. Cormier, who has more than 31 years experience with Ahold USA, will serve as secretary. Through the years he has risen to jobs of increased responsibility including: assistant manager, store manager, district manager and regional vice president of operations.
Cormier participates in a number of food industry associations on the national, state and local levels, including Chambers of Commerce, retail merchants and food associations.
Ahold USA operates supermarkets in 12 states along the east coast from Richmond, Virginia through New England. In addition, the company operates Peapod, an online grocery home delivery company.
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