As the New Jersey Food Council prepares for an even brighter future, with event participation at record highs, six highly regarded professional candidates were selected to fill recently vacated positions on the Board of Directors.
The new Board members – all of whom have been unanimously approved – have undergone a comprehensive orientation program over the summer. As part of the process, CEO Linda Doherty outlined the detailed operations of the state’s trade association for food retailers, as well as its strategic plan for the coming years as membership and sponsorship numbers are at unprecedented levels.
“Our new board members have outstanding backgrounds; the New Jersey Food Council is eager to welcome the next generation of Board members as we continue to grow and thrive,” Doherty said. “They all possess a wealth of industry knowledge and experience that will benefit our association’s goals and strengthen our strategic activities.”
Andrew Kent, chair of the NJFC Board and executive vice president of Glass Gardens ShopRite, said the key to the NJFC’s success and impact in New Jersey is steady leadership. Over the decades of service to New Jersey’s food retailing industry, the association has relied on volunteers who eagerly take on leadership positions and use their vast experience to provide guidance to NJFC staff.
Jason Read, who was elected vice chair of NJFC in January, agreed.
“We are eager to welcome these engaged and visionary board members, who are ready to take this next, important step in their careers,” he said. “Being a leader of the NJFC shows enormous commitment to the food retailing industry and I very much look forward to tapping the enthusiasm and experience of our new Board members to further elevate the New Jersey Food Council.”
The New Jersey Food Council is the Garden State’s preeminent trade association representing almost 400 companies including 1,200 retail food stores, wholesalers, manufacturing and service companies that collectively employ more than 200,000 associates in New Jersey.
The new board members include:
Ryan Auld: A senior customer executive with Bimbo Bakeries USA, he began his food industry career with Mondelez International as a merchandiser in the Baltimore/Washington DC Area. In 2017, he joined BIMBO Bakeries USA as a market sales leader.
Perry Blatt: The director of e-commerce and business development for Village Supermarkets, he oversees all corporate giving, community outreach programs and is president of the Sumas Family Foundation. He has held many supervisory positions in the company in operations, merchandising, marketing and corporate communications.
Kevin Cuff: A store operations district manager and VP of Wegmans Food Markets, he has 27 years of experience. He began working at Wegmans in high school as a cashier in Syracuse, NY. He moved to New Jersey, where he took on several roles in store operations, including opening the first Wegmans location in New York City in his role as store manager.
Rich Gingo: A sales team leader of Advantage Solutions, he has more than 31 years of experience. He began his career at Revlon, working a summer job then transitioned to the broker side, gaining experience with ABD Sales, Food Enterprises, Marketing Specialists, and Acosta. For the past 13 years, he has been with Advantage Solutions and now serves as Sales Team Leader for the perishables division.
Jim Gunning: A manager of business development for UNFI, he is responsible for activities across 11 distribution centers, spanning nine states and the District of Columbia. Gunning is proud to have been in the food industry his entire career. He served as a board member of the Mid-Atlantic Frozen Food Association.
Jim Mullen: A VP of operations at Stop & Shop Supermarkets, he began his food industry career with Acme Markets in Philadelphia and has had leadership roles in operations, merchandising and e-commerce. Mullen also served four years in the United States Marine Corps, promoted to sergeant while serving in Operation Desert Storm. He received the Navy Achievement Medal. Mullen is also a former president and board member for the Mid-Atlantic Food Trades Organization.
