Strength in Togetherness

CHAIR’S MESSAGE

Strength in Togetherness

RENEE AMEN

SUPER A FOODS, INC.

As grocers of all sizes, we can accomplish far more together than we can individually

I started off 2022 at the Independent Operators Symposium in Hawaii with my fellow independents tackling priorities for this year. And as the year comes to a close, along with my time as Chair of the California Grocers Association Board, I am so proud of all we accomplished together. Though doing business looks a lot different than it did in years past, we’ve managed to stay united, lean on one another for help, and rely on the Association to lead us forward.

Reflecting on this year, my main takeaway is one of gratitude. I’m eternally grateful to be the third Amen to have the honor of serving in this role for California’s grocery community. I am thankful for the foundation laid for me by the Chairs who proceeded me, Hee-Sook Alden and Phil Miller, who both guided the Association through extremely tough times and allowed me to pick up where they left off. My experience as Chair has opened my eyes to a different side of the industry. We all know what it takes to run our stores day-to-day, but so much goes on behind the scenes that impacts how we do business. It’s been wonderful to pull back the curtain and be involved in that side of our industry. For small independents like Super A who don’t have the same staff capacity or resources as larger chains, the Association is here to guide us through new legislation, interpret complicated legal matters, and provide resources for compliance and education through the Educational Foundation. Just this year, CGA has led us through the back-andforth of Prop 12 enforcement and regulations, major reforms to the Bottle Bill, and has continued to charge the fight against PAGA, none of which we could have faced alone.

Especially in navigating unfamiliar waters with local and state governments’ emergency executive powers left over from the pandemic, the Association has led us through industry issues far beyond what just one store could tackle. I’m so grateful for the small but mighty CGA staff who has a pulse on how to support the industry, what we need to do, and how to do it. All of this has shown me how important it is that we stick together as an industry. I am so grateful that we have a community within our grocery industry full of different points of view, experiences, and backgrounds. What I know for sure is that we’re stronger as a community than we are as individual people or companies. That’s what makes CGA so special; retailers big and small work together and contribute their own unique perspectives to the larger success of our industry. In fact, it was eye-opening to take part in the Retail Tomorrow event this past August in the Bay Area and have a company as massive and successful as Google wanting to hear our input and opinions as an industry. Nowhere else in the country does the grocery industry have the kind of bond we have in California. Seeing the Strategic Conference successfully return to full strength this year reminded me of how lucky we are to share in this community. Together, we all help each other out as colleagues and friends and navigate through the chaos of California politics and running our businesses. It’s been such a unique privilege to collaborate with fellow board members and witness their openness and honesty to tackle industrywide issues.

I can’t put my gratitude into words, not only for the opportunity to serve in this role, but also to all my colleagues and peers for your support this year. It’s my pleasure to pass on the baton to the next Chair of CGA, Dennis Darling. A fellow small independent store operator who is passionate about our industry, I know Dennis will do a fantastic job in leading the Association through the next year, no matter what’s in store. ■

connecting growers to retailers