Dave Riser Takes Lead on NACS Supplier Board

ALEXANDRIA, Va. — Long-time tobacco industry veteran Dave Riser took is taking the helm of the NACS Supplier Board as its 2018-2019 chairman.

Riser is vice president of external relations at RAI Trade Marketing Services Co.

"I am honored to be named chairman of the NACS Supplier Board," Riser said. "The time that I have spent on committees and the board has been an invaluable learning experience. I look forward to the continued working relationship with the multiple leaders within the convenience industry."

Riser joined R.J. Reynolds in 1983 as a sales representative for the Indianapolis region. He held various field trade marketing management positions before being promoted in 1989 to division manager in St. Paul, Minnesota.

In 1992, he was promoted to manager – sales training at the company's Winston-Salem, N.C., corporate headquarters. Following positions in the human resources and marketing departments, Riser was promoted to assistant region sales manager in California in 1995, and region sales manager in Detroit in 1996.

In 2000, he returned to Winston-Salem as director of human resources – sales and marketing. In 2001, Riser was promoted to area vice president of sales for the western area, and later became area vice president for the mid-west area in 2004. He assumed his current position in 2006.

Drew Mize, senior vice president of global ERP solutions at PDI, has been named chairman-elect and will succeed Riser as the 2019–2020 NACS Supplier Board chairman.

Mize began his career in retail convenience technology in 1995 as a business analyst for TMI Services, holding the position of vice president when he left in 2005 to join The Pinnacle Corp. He joined Pinnacle as vice president of retail solutions, gaining responsibilities throughout the following 12 years including his last role as president.

When PDI acquired Pinnacle’s retail and wholesale fuel technology assets in December 2016, Mize accepted a position with PDI and has since continued to increase his responsibilities.

In his current role, Mize oversees PDI’s convenience retail and petroleum wholesale technology solutions divisions globally.

Riser and Mize were named to their positions during the NACS Supplier Board meeting at the 2018 NACS Show in Las Vegas, which took place Oct. 7-10. The board is comprised of individuals from NACS supplier member companies that represent different product and service categories in the convenience store industry.

Three vice chairmen also were elected to the five-member Supplier Board leadership team:

• Rick Brindle, vice president industry development, Mondelēz International
• Brent Cotten, senior director, customer & industry affairs, The Hershey Co.
• Frank Squilla, executive vice president, industry & trade relations, InComm

In addition, seven new members were elected to the NACS Supplier Board:

• Steve Bradley, corporate vice president of sales, Wilbur Curtis Co. Inc.
• Josh Halpren, chief sales officer, North American Breweries
• Tim Knight, team leader convenience north, BIC Corp.
• Chuck Maggelet, CEO, Maverik Inc. (Retailer Liaison)
• John Thomas, vice president, industry development, iSEE Store Innovations LLC
• Dean Zurliene, vice president, national convenience, Monster Energy Co.