CSNews Reveals 2017 Top Women in Convenience Honorees

JERSEY CITY, N.J. — Fifty female executives and managers who work in the convenience store industry will be honored later this year in the fourth-annual Convenience Store News Top Women in Convenience awards program.

The Top Women in Convenience program recognizes a diverse array of women in the convenience retail industry, including leaders, mentors and up-and-comers. Honorees are selected based on nominations from their peers that illustrate a candidate’s innovative corporate initiatives, extraordinary financial and strategic accomplishments, astute-problem solving acumen, exceptional performance and selfless charitable participation, among other attributes that go above and beyond the call of duty.

This year’s judging was conducted by Convenience Store News in conjunction with the Network of Executive Women (NEW) and the 2017 Top Women in Convenience Advisory Board, of which all five 2016 Women of the Year honorees are members. 

This year’s Top Women in Convenience are:

WOMEN OF THE YEAR

• Karla Ahlert, Vice President of Finance and Treasurer, RaceTrac Petroleum Inc. 
• Elisa Goria, Global Head of Cold Dispensed Beverages, Circle K Stores Inc.
• Ruth Ann Lilly, Senior Category Manager, Tobacco, Beer, Wine & Spirits, GPM Investments LLC 
• Alicia Logan, District Sales Manager, Chevron ExtraMile
• Lesley Saitta, Chief Executive Officer, Impact 21

SENIOR-LEVEL LEADERS

• Carla Boyington, Corporate Director, Category Management, Core-Mark International
• Kris Condon, Director of Human Resources, Family Express
• Suzanne Cramer, Director of Recruitment and Human Resources, Rutter’s Farm Stores
• Kathy Cunnington, VP, Shared Services North America, Circle K Stores Inc.
• Jennifer Eaton, Tobacco Category Manager, GPM Investments LLC
• Joan Elsing, Zone Leader, Kwik Trip Inc. 
• Jodi Gehrts, Tobacco Category Manager, Kum & Go LC
• Monica Hayes, Senior Director, Convenience Channel, The Coca-Cola Co.
• Kellie Janssen, President, Henry’s Foods
• Kim James, Global Director, Brand Management, Alimentation Couche-Tard Inc. 
• Natalie Jones, President, Jones Petroleum Co. 
• Kim Lazerus, VP, Human Resources, Maverik Inc. 
• Lisa Luben, Foodservice Director, Country Fair
• Cassandra Matos, Director, Confections, McLane Co.
• Abbey Mitchell, Zone Manager, General Mills Convenience
• Julie Montague, VP, Stores & Marketing, Jr Food Mart
• Tonia Petterson, VP, Convenience, Hy-Vee Inc. 
• Becky Schall, Director of Operations Systems, CST Brands Inc. 
• Jackie Tressito, Area Vice President, Reynolds American Trade Marketing Services
• Nancy Tosto, Payment Systems Manager, BP
• Nicole Upshaw, Executive Director, Human Resources, RaceTrac Petroleum
• Allison Wroe, Director of Marketing, PriceAdvantage

RISING STARS

• Megan Baccam, Director, Hot Dispensed Beverages, U.S., Circle K Stores Inc. 
• Marisa Bertha, Senior Manager, Portfolio Management, 7-Eleven Inc. 
• Amy DaSilva, Human Resources Communications & Systems Specialist, QuickChek Corp. 
• Erika Escobar, Key Account Manager, GSP
• Heather Johnson, Customer Business Manager, Convenience, U.S. Sales, National Accounts, Mondelez International Inc. 
• Shelby Kemp, Marketing Specialist/Project Manager, Royal Farms Inc. 
• Rosie Manzanarez, Marketing Category Manager, Kwik Chek Food Stores
• Jennifer Megison, Senior Category Management Analyst, S&D Coffee and Tea
• Kristi Morris, Senior Manager, Food and Beverages, RaceTrac Petroleum Inc. 
• Shannon Morton, Senior Store Leader, Giant Eagle/GetGo
• Kelly Naudain, Senior Account Manager, Altria Group Distribution Co.
• Kimberlee Padilla, National Accounts Executive, Foodservice/Dispensed Beverages, Coca-Cola N.A.
• Mireya Ortiz Rivera, Franchise Business Consultant, Chevron Corp. 
• Emily Stegman, Merchandiser, Cigarettes & Tobacco, 7-Eleven Inc. 
• Holly Veale, Product Director, Foodservice, McLane Co.

MENTORS

• Treasa Bowers, VP of Human Resources, 7-Eleven Inc. 
• Misha Clark, Store Manager, Hy-Vee Inc.
• Carolina Felici, Corporate Area Trainer, Chevron Corp.
• Monique Horn, Chief Accounting Officer, Family Express
• Rhonda Johnston, Section Sales Director, Altria Group Distribution Co.
• Jennifer Morgan, District Manager, Maverik Inc. 
• Sandy O’Donnell, Professional Development Consultant, RaceTrac Petroleum Inc. 
• Cynthia Rehwaldt, Senior Manager, Training Delivery, CST Brands Inc. 

Winners will be recognized in the August issue of Convenience Store News magazine and at the October awards gala in Chicago.

Marcia Clark, the lead Los Angeles prosecutor in the O.J. Simpson "Trial of the Century," will be the keynote speaker at the event, as CSNews Online previously announced. Her appearance is made possible by presenting sponsor Altria Group Distribution Co.

Other 2017 Top Women in Convenience sponsors include platinum sponsors R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Co. and Ruiz Foods, and gold sponsors BIC Consumer Products, The Coca-Cola Co., Logic Technologies, Mondelēz International and The Hershey Co.

The 2017 Top Women in Convenience Advisory Board includes: Laura Asbell, Mondelez International; Blake Benefiel, Altria Distribution Co.; Kimberli Carroll, Ruiz Foods; Pat Cordle, BIC; Niki DePhillips, Kum & Go; Nancy Krawczyk Priory, Network of Executive Women; Sharon Kuncl, Eby-Brown; Danielle Mattiussi, Maverik; David Riser, RJ Reynolds Tobacco; and Nancy Smith, 7-Eleven.