The Pennsylvania Food Merchants Association (PFMA) has appointed Gary Fechter, Wegmans Senior Vice President for the Pennsylvania Division, to its Board of Directors.
Fechter takes the seat previously held by Blaine Forkell. In his current role, Fechter is
responsible for the operations of 16 Wegmans stores across Pennsylvania. He joined Wegmans
in 2013, formerly serving as Regional Vice President for Romano’s Macaroni Grill restaurants.
“We are very pleased to have Gary join our Board of Directors and look forward to his
contributions,” PFMA President & CEO Alex Baloga said. “Gary is a leader in the food and
beverage industry in Pennsylvania and his more than 25 years of experience in management at
retail and hospitality establishments will be a tremendous asset to our organization moving
forward.”
PFMA would like to thank Forkell for his time and service to the Board.
Fechter has held senior multi-unit operations leadership positions spanning 20 years with large
companies such as Boston Market, Blockbuster Video, Panera Bread, and Qdoba Mexican Grill.
He has corporate and franchise operations experience with both startups and turnarounds.
Fechter has a bachelor’s degree in business administration with a concentration in finance from
the University of Florida. He has served as Chairman of the Civic Engagement Committee, as
well as a member of the Board of Governors for Leadership Palm Beach County. In addition, he
has served on the Board of Directors of For The Children, Inc. in West Palm Beach, Fla.
