Convenience Matters

The U.S. Treasury will officially stop making pennies and phase out the one-cent coin from circulation. Here are four things retailers need to know, recapped from a February 2025 podcast. Hosted by: Jeff Lenard

The NACS Foundation's annual 24/7 Day (July 24) makes it easy for retailers and suppliers to celebrate the first responders who protect our communities—and it's free. Hear some of the success stories from previous years and how your company can join the celebration. Hosted by: Jeff Lenard About our Guest: Kevin O'Connell, Executive Director, NACS Foundation Kevin leads the NACS Foundation and collaborates with industry stakeholders to develop signature programs that align with NACS members' philanthropic priorities, which overall focus on serving first responders, fighting hunger, supporting healthy kids and keeping communities clean.

Hear how retailers can grow sales through effective marketing, merchandising and planning that makes their stores the ultimate destination for road trippers. Hosted by: Jeff Lenard About our Guest: Steve Holtz, President, Holtz Media Consulting Steve is a veteran c-store journalist with 25 years in the industry. He is currently president of Holtz Media Consulting.

At least two broad trends are affecting food consumption right now: The growing use of GLP-1 drugs that is leading one segment of customers to seek out products with specific attributes, while economic concerns are leading another segment to increasingly seek out value. Hosted by: Jeff Lenard About our Guest: Andreas Düss, CEO, 6 Seeds Consulting Andreas is a leading voice at the intersection of AI, consumer behavior and the food and agriculture industries. His insights help shape the future of food, guiding businesses through the challenges of an evolving global market.

Although there have been many changes in the electric vehicle market, both in sales and in perceptions, EVs will continue to play a central role in the future of transportation. Hosted by: Jeff Lenard About our Guest: Quincy Lee, Founder & CEO, Electric Era Quincy founded Electric Era in 2020. Prior to that, he led the Gateway Ground Station Antenna program for SpaceX Starlink and was one of the earliest team members.

What are the key convenience retail metrics and themes that were delivered at the 2025 NACS State of the Industry Summit? Chris Rapanick breaks it down for us this week on Convenience Matters. Hosted by: Jeff Lenard About our Guest: Chris Rapanick, Managing Director, NACS Research Chris oversees the day-to-day operations of NACS Research, manages and directs departmental financial and operational performance, and drives strategic development of NACS long-term research capabilities and offerings for the convenience industry.

AI can sound grandiose... it can sound complicated... and it can sound scary. But it's really just another tool to help you communicate. Hosted by: Jeff Lenard About our Guest: Steve Lerch, President, Story Arc Consulting Steve was a featured speaker at the 2025 NACS State of the Industry Summit. He is an award-winning international public speaker and consultant, and a highly respected voice in the world of digital strategy, marketing, consumer behavior, innovation, and leadership.  

Let's look at the big takeaways and data from the recently concluded NACS State of the Industry Summit. We cover big-picture industry metrics, consumer trends and insights how you can best navigate today's economic uncertainty. Hosted by: Jeff Lenard

Convenience can mean extended hours of operation, one-stop shopping, speedy service, online ordering and delivery. When we asked consumers how they defined convenience, one word stood out most. Hosted by: Jeff Lenard About our Guest: Adam Rosenblatt, Founding Partner, Bold Decision Adam is one of the nation's leading political consultants sought after for his ability to help clients achieve victory through effective research-based strategies and messaging. He designs and executes cutting-edge quantitative, qualitative, and data analytics programs for campaigns as well as non-political clients like NACS.

Which resources are necessary for HR leaders in convenience retail to build great teams? The recent NACS Human Resource Forum focused on this topic along with other industry-specific themes. Hosted by: Jeff Lenard About our Guest: Julie Jackowski, HR Forum Moderator and Chief Legal Officer & Secretary, Casey's (retired) Julie has more than 30-plus years of experience in the legal profession and the c-store industry, including 31 years at Casey's, where she oversaw the company's legal, compliance, regulatory and risk areas. She has moderated three NACS HR Forums and served as the 2019-20 NACS Chairman.

EVs are one of many solutions to reducing emissions; we look at some other ways to also examine emission reduction. In addition, we share insights on how EV drivers charge at stores -- and what it means to your business. Hosted by: Jeff Lenard About our Guest: John Eichberger, Executive Director, Transportation Energy Institute John has more than 20 years of experience in the fuels industry, including more than a decade leading the Transportation Energy Institute (formerly known as the Fuels Institute). Prior to that, he served for 15 years as vice president of government relations at NACS, with a focus on fuels- and energy-related issues.

Highlights from the 2025 NACS Convenience Summit Asia were tours of convenience stores in Tokyo. Hear more for learnings and insights about what we saw, and experienced in this incredibly efficient c-store market. Hosted by: Jeff Lenard About our Guest: Jeff McQuilkin, Director, Exhibit Sales & Services, NACS Jeff has over 25 years of exposition sales, marketing, operations and project management experience, the last eight with NACS.

The early weeks of the Trump administration have been marked by a flurry of activity. Find out which actions could impact convenience retail and the potential opportunities for the industry on key issues. Hosted by: Jeff Lenard About our Guest: Doug Kantor, General Counsel, NACS Doug has served as legal counsel for NACS for more than 20 years, originally as a partner with the law firms Collier Shannon Scott PLLC and Steptoe & Johnson LLP. He has been NACS in-house counsel since 2021. Doug also served as special counsel and deputy chief of staff in the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development.

How do you get people to listen to your message long enough for it to be effective? Storytelling can help cut through the clutter in a crowded marketplace, and tools like AI can make your messages even more impactful. Hosted by: Jeff Lenard About our Guest: Steve Lerch, President, Story Arc Consulting Steve is a keynote speaker at the 2025 NACS State of the Industry Summit. He is an award-winning international public speaker and consultant and a highly respected voice in the world of digital strategy, marketing, consumer behavior, innovation and leadership. Prior to founding Story Arc Consulting, Steve spent nine years at Google crafting his unique perspective on the topics of innovation, strategy and digital marketing.

President Trump and Elon Musk have both advocated for the elimination of the penny. We share insights from customers on whether they agree and how it would affect transactions in convenience stores. Hosted by: Jeff Lenard, NACS Media & Strategic Communications

The gas price sign used to be the most important means of communications to attract drivers to c-stores. Today, digital communications have unleashed many other more effective opportunities to tell customers about your offer by appealing to their known behaviors. Hosted by: Jeff Lenard About our Guest: Fred Dimesa, Head of Product for Marketing Solutions, Arity Fred is head of product for marketing solutions at Arity. He has more than 20 years of experience in developing strategies and launching new businesses in the technology space.

We look at some of the preliminary numbers related to industry performance—and what it means to you. Hosted by: Jeff Lenard About our Guest: Chris Rapanick, Managing Director, NACS Research Chris oversees the day-to-day operations of NACS Research, manages and directs departmental financial and operational performance, and drives strategic development of NACS long-term research capabilities and offerings for the convenience industry.

Beer accounts for about 7% of all dollars spent inside convenience stores. What are some of the trends that could affect sales in 2025? Hosted by: Jeff Lenard and Chrissy Blasinsky About our Guest: Benj Steinman, President, Beer Marketer's INSIGHTS Benj is the president of Beer Marketer's INSIGHTS Inc., the leading trade publisher for the United States brewing industry since 1970. He is publisher and editor of the flagship newsletter as well as several other online and print media publications.

New policies from the Trump Administration could affect the broader fuels market in 2025 and beyond. Find out what could impact retailers. Hosted by: Jeff Lenard About our Guest: Denton Cinquegrana, Chief Oil Analyst, OPIS Denton has been with OPIS since 2001 and serves as the chief oil analyst, responsible for the day-to-day operations of OPIS' news and analysis division. In his role, he also provides big picture views to OPIS subscribers on a variety of topics from supply and demand trends to anticipating price moves in the futures, spot and retail markets in North America.

Here are some of the top retail-focused trends seem at the January 2025 NRF Show. Hosted by: Jeff Lenard About our Guest: Tim Tang, Director, Business Technologies, Hughes With 30 years of professional experience in developing enterprise solutions, Tim studies various enterprise markets (e.g. restaurant, retail, and banking/finance) to anticipate trends that will enable enterprise customers to fully unlock the business value of technology.

In just over a half century since the first c-store opened in Tokyo, the definition of convenience has been reshaped over and over throughout Asia. Hear what the big ideas are in Tokyo and which ones could be coming to your market. Hosted by: Jeff Lenard About our Guest: Mark Wohltmann, Director, NACS Global Mark is responsible for the strategic development of NACS Global, a worldwide network that supports convenience retailers and their businesses. He has more than 20 years of experience in research and consulting, with a focus on FMCG/CPG and retail. Mark began his career in the advertising industry, focusing on trade marketing and sales advertising in impulse retail channels at Dorland in Berlin and at Grey and BBDO in Duesseldorf.

Here are the top trends for 2025 that have the potential to shape convenience retail operations and the customer experience. Hosted by: Jeff Lenard About our Guest: Lauren Shanesy, Editor/Writer, NACS Lauren has more than a decade of business journalism experience crafting content for print and online media sites. At NACS she works on operations, strategy and content development for print and digital publications that include NACS Magazine, NACS Daily and Fuels Market News Magazine.

From our most downloaded podcast of 2024, we're revisiting conversations around finding great food at the local gas station. Hear more on these hidden gems. Hosted by: Jeff Lenard About our Guest: Stafford Shurden, Creator, Gas Station Tailgate Review Stafford is a restaurant owner and farmer from Drew, MS. Over the past four years between managing his farm and restaurant, he has traveled the southern United States in search of the best gas station food and filming it from the tailgate of his pickup truck. His popular show "Gas Station Tailgate Review” has amassed millions of views on social media.

Technology is vital for adapting to rapid changes. We're breaking down what it means and what you need to do. Hosted by: Jeff Lenard About our Guest: Gray Taylor, Executive Director, Conexxus Gray has been involved with a variety of projects, including heading global product management for three of the world's largest retail petroleum equipment and systems suppliers, and as vice president of research and technology at NACS. Gray managed product portfolios that included payment platforms for EMV migration markets from Malaysia to Canada, as well as mobile/RFID payments initiatives.

Tobacco theft is the new face of organized crime. Flavor bans, higher taxes, and raising the legal purchase age to 21 have all contributed to a thriving black market for tobacco and vape products. Hear how you can protect your staff and business against tobacco and vape theft. Hosted by: Jeff Lenard and Chrissy Blasinsky About our Guest: Rich Marianos, Assistant Director (Retired), Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; Professor, Georgetown University Rich is a senior law enforcement consultant, having served more than 27 years at the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives fighting violent crime. He most recently served as Assistant Director in the Office of Public and Governmental Affairs, and as Special Agent in Charge ATF's Washington Field Division. He began his career with ATF in September 1987 in the Chicago Field Division where he worked on complex-gang investigations. and was recognized as a national expert using the continuing criminal enterprise and RICO statues to dismantle some of the most dangerous street gangs and organized crimes groups in America.

We're sharing some of the insights and takeaways from the latest Senate Judiciary Committee hearing on credit card swipe fees, and talk about what it means to retailers. Hosted by: Jeff Lenard About our Guest: Doug Kantor, NACS General Counsel Doug has served as legal counsel for NACS for more than 20 years, originally as a partner with the law firms Collier Shannon Scott PLLC and Steptoe & Johnson LLP. He has been NACS in-house counsel since 2021. Doug also served as special counsel and deputy chief of staff in the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development.

In November, the Senate Judiciary Committee held a hearing on the need for competition in the credit card market. Hear what NACS General Counsel Doug Kantor told committee members on behalf of the c-store industry. Hosted by: Jeff Lenard About our Guest: Doug Kantor, NACS General Counsel Doug has served as legal counsel for NACS for more than 20 years, originally as a partner with the law firms Collier Shannon Scott PLLC and Steptoe & Johnson LLP. He has been NACS in-house counsel since 2021. Doug also served as special counsel and deputy chief of staff in the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development.

EVs aren't the only option to reduce carbon emissions. E-fuels could close potential emission reduction gaps in the U.S. or accelerate emission reduction efforts for road transportation. Hosted by: Jeff Lenard About our Guest: John Eichberger, Executive Director, Transportation Energy Institute John has more than 20 years of experience in the fuels industry, including more than a decade leading the Transportation Energy Institute. Prior to that, he served for 15 years as vice president of government relations at NACS, with a focus on fuels- and energy-related issues.

Before the AMBER Alert system, there was the Milk Carton Kids campaign in the 1980s. Today, technology is further enhancing the search for missing children—and retailers can help. Hosted by: Jeff Lenard About our Guest: Gavin Portnoy, Vice President, Communications & Brand, National Center for Missing & Exploited Children Gavin builds strategies to elevate NCMEC's brand, which include creating new partnerships, bolstering existing relationships and working positively and efficiently with NCMEC's departments and stakeholders to support programs and goals. He joined NCMEC in 2014 after more than 15 years helping organizations build brand awareness and effectively tell their story using the latest business, digital, social and media channels.

A recent poll suggests that public confidence regarding food safety is eroding. To better connect with their customers, companies can do more to communicate their policies and procedures. Hosted by: Jeff Lenard and Chrissy Blasinsky About our Guest: Benjamin Chapman, Professor, Food Safety Extension Specialist at North Carolina State University Through reality-based research, Ben investigates behaviors and creates interventions aimed at amateur and professional food handlers, managers and organizational decision-makers. He co-hosts the podcasts “Food Safety Talk” and “Risky or Not” and further engages folks online through Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, YouTube and Pinterest.

Chefs Andrew Zimmern and David Chang are big fans of convenience stores and their food offers. At the NACS Show, they shared their passion for food and how c-stores can continue to elevate their foodservice to stand out among the competition. And they loved visiting the Expo! Hosted by: Andrew Kintigh, Corporate Chef, Casey's About our Guests: Chef Andrew Zimmern Andrew is an Emmy-winning and four-time James Beard Award-winning chef, TV personality, writer and social justice advocate. A star of cooking shows on Travel Channel and The Food Network and currently the host of two shows on the Magnolia Network, Zimmern has devoted his life to exploring and promoting cultural acceptance, tolerance and understanding through food. Chef David Chang David is founder of the Momofuku restaurant group and Majordomo Media. Since opening his first restaurant, Momofuku Noodle Bar, in 2004, he has been recognized as GQ's Man of the Year and a Time 100 honoree. David also is the host of The Dave Chang Show podcast and three documentary series: “Ugly Delicious,” “Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner,” and “The Next Thing You Eat.” His cookbooks and memoir are New York Times bestsellers. In 2019, he opened a convenience store called Peach Mart in New York City.

Visa has used fees and strong-arm tactics to bend the U.S. payments system to its liking, leading to higher fees and less innovation than many other countries. Hosted by: Jeff Lenard About our Guest: Doug Kantor, General Counsel, NACS Doug has served as legal counsel for NACS for more than 20 years, originally as a partner with the law firms Collier Shannon Scott PLLC and Steptoe & Johnson LLP. He has been NACS in-house counsel since 2021. Doug also served as special counsel and deputy chief of staff in the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development.

Artificial Intelligence is already changing how businesses operate. At the 2024 NACS Show, a panel discussed what retailers can do now to enhance their business operations with AI. Hosted by: Henry Armour About our Guests: Brian Gray, Global Mobility Retail Lead, Accenture Brian leads Accenture's Global and North America Fuels & Convenience Retail practice and helps clients solve challenges and discover opportunities through digital transformation. Over the past two decades, he has worked with 20-plus convenience retailers around the world on customer experience, mobility, artificial intelligence, loyalty, payments and large-scale complex deployments. Victor Paterno, President and CEO, Philippine Seven Corp., and 2023-24 NACS Chairman Victor is president and CEO of Mandaluyong, Philippines-based Philippine Seven Corporation (dba 7-Eleven Convenience Store), which operates approximately 4,000 stores. At the invitation of his father, Victor joined the company as the construction and maintenance manager in 1993. He was appointed president and CEO in 2005. Victor also serves on the Board of Trustees and is the director for foreign franchises at the Philippine Franchise Association.

During his 2024 NACS Show presentation, Juan energized the audience with ideas to ignite their confidence. Hosted by: Jeff Lenard and Chrissy Blasinsky About our Guest: Juan Bendaña, motivational speaker Juan is an internationally recognized speaker who helps leaders navigate uncertainty and exponential change by developing the unwavering confidence to thrive in any environment.

Chip payment cards for SNAP transactions are coming, starting in two states in early 2025. Hear what you need to do now to prepare, whether you do business in those states or others. Hosted by: Jeff Lenard About our Guest: Margaret Mannion, NACS Government Relations Manager Margaret focuses on issues including SNAP, food traceability and retail crime. She joined the NACS government relations team in 2019, originally overseeing grassroots initiatives, including issue-focused fly-ins, NACS Day on the Hill and dozens of visits by members of Congress to convenience stores as part of the NACS In Store program.

It's no secret that great team members are the reason behind the success of the Disney experience. We'll get a preview from NACS Show speaker Doug Lipp on how to create a unique experience in your stores. Hosted by: Jeff Lenard About our Guest: Doug Lipp, NACS Show speaker, consultant, former head of training at Disney Doug is a distinguished consultant, business keynote speaker, eight-time business author and world authority on building esteemed organizational cultures.

Convenience retail continues to be reinvented by more than 1.5 million c-store operators around the world. Hear how trends around the customer journey, loyalty and EVs are evolving. Hosted by: Jeff Lenard About our Guests: Roy Strasburger, CEO, StrasGlobal Roy is a 4th generation retailer and is currently CEO of StrasGlobal, a retail support and consulting company. He co-founded the Vision Group Network, where top level executives discuss current and future issues and share their perspective with the industry. Roy also is a is a founding member of the NACS International Board. Barbara Stoyko, Senior Vice President of Shell Mobility Americas Barbara has more than 30 years of experience providing strategic, commercial and operational leadership across energy and retail value chains. In her current role, she oversees the financial, strategic and organizational delivery of the consumer mobility and retail business in the United States, Canada, and Mexico. This includes thousands of Shell-branded gas stations, a growing footprint of company owned and operated convenience stores, and an expanding network of public electric vehicle charging stations.

Rutter's has redefined its customer experience so its foodservice offer can best resonate with customers, whether they are refueling or shopping inside the store. Hosted by: Jeff Lenard About our Guests: Phil Santini, Senior Director of Advertising & Food Service, The Rutter's Companies Phil oversees the York, Pennsylvania-based convenience-store chain's foodservice program and is also in charge of the company's advertising department. Prior to joining Rutter's, he played a pivotal role in launching the QSR program at the Tin Building in New York City with world-renowned Chef Jean-Georges Vongerichten. Phil also served as the general manager for Eataly, overseeing operations across nine locations and contributing to the development of QSR concepts. Rick Sales, President, Abierto Networks Rick is founder and president of Abierto Networks, a leading digital engagement solutions provider focused on the convenience store and convenience foodservice retail industries and used in more than 4,000 locations across the country.

We're breaking down two of the biggest questions fuel retailers have faced in decades: Will installing EV chargers be good for my business, and how do I launch a program? Hosted by: Jeff Lenard About our Guest: Karl Doenges, Executive Director, Charging Analytics Program Karl represents NACS on the coming disruption in mobility and how that affects convenience retailers. In this role, Karl focuses on the NACS EV charging infrastructure program, monitoring and engaging the EV industry and the Fuels Institute Electric Vehicle Council.

Convenience store design has come a long way from the standard 40x60 box. Today, design involves many new elements, including brand strategy. Hosted by: Jeff Lenard About our Guest: Amanda Baltazar, Retail & Hospitality Journalist Amanda is a journalist with 20+ years of experience and expertise in foodservice, beverages, restaurants/bars and overall retail. She covers everything from operations to how to staff a c-suite.

How do you revitalize and reimagine a nearly 90-year-old family brand? Stephanie Stuckey shares the lessons she's learned during her 5-year journey at the helm of Stuckey's. Hosted by: Jeff Lenard About our Guest: Stephanie Stuckey, Chair, Stuckey's Stephanie is chair of Stuckey's. She worked as a trial lawyer a state representative in Georgia and Atlanta's director of sustainability before purchasing Stuckey's in 2019 and assuming the role of CEO. When she's not running Stuckey's, she enjoys travelling by car to explore the back roads of America.

In rural areas, locals know the best meals come from gas stations. In this episode, Stafford Shurden shares his tips for finding great c-store and gas station food. Hosted by: Jeff Lenard About our Guest: Stafford Shurden, Creator, Gas Station Tailgate Review Stafford is a restaurant owner and farmer from Drew, MS. Over the past four years, between managing his farm and restaurant, Stafford has traveled the southern United States in search of the best gas station food and filming it from the tailgate of his pickup truck. His popular show "Gas Station Tailgate Review” has amassed millions of views on social media.

Foodservice in c-stores accounts for nearly 40% of in-store profits. We're breaking down how you can ensure that food safety remains top of mind. Hosted by: Jeff Lenard and Chrissy Blasinsky About our Guest: David McIntyre, Senior Health & Safety Specialist, EG America David has more than 30 years of experience in culinary, retail and noncommercial/contract foodservice management environments. His team was instrumental in developing and rolling out a risk-based internal assessment of food and workplace safety standards at EG America. He currently works with the Fastrac and Cumberland Farms banners in New York and oversees a field team in the Midwest and Western regions.

Businesses that accepted Visa and/or Mastercard between January 1, 2004, and January 25, 2019, are eligible to claim a share of the antitrust class-action settlement, but they must file by August 30. We'll tell you how. Hosted by: Jeff Lenard About our Guest: Doug Kantor, General Counsel, NACS Doug has served as legal counsel for NACS for more than 20 years, originally as a partner with the law firms Collier Shannon Scott PLLC and Steptoe & Johnson LLP. He has been NACS in-house counsel since 2021. Doug also served as special counsel and deputy chief of staff in the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development.

Ethanol and other biofuels are already used in more than 10% of all gasoline purchased in the United States. How much more can be used and what would the impact be on food supply and other considerations? Hosted by: Jeff Lenard About our Guest: John Eichberger, Executive Director, Transportation Energy Institute John has more than 20 years of experience in the fuels industry, including more than a decade leading the Transportation Energy Institute (formerly known as the Fuels Institute). Prior to that, he served for 15 years as vice president of government relations at NACS, with a focus on fuels and energy-related issues.

We're flipping the script and answering questions from our Convenience Matters producer on how to maximize your NACS Show experience. Hosted by: Blake Althen, Human Factor Guests: Chrissy Blasinsky, NACS and Jeff Lenard, NACS

We all could use more laughter and good news, and that's what Tank Sinatra delivers to his 11 million social media followers. Hosted by: Jeff Lenard About our Guest: Tank Sinatra, renowned content creator Tank Sinatra is the largest and most prolific meme creator on the internet and has been called “The Michael Jordan of memes.” In addition, “Tank's Good News” is featured on GSTV.

From the corporate “police function” to nitpickers and fault finders, there are many myths around internal audits. We're debunking these myths and sharing how you can benefit from the process. Hosted by: Jeff Lenard About our Guest: Kara Falco, Director of Internal Audit at Casey's At Casey's, Kara manages a team of 13 and has participated and presented in internal audit conferences sharing insights with her professional peers.

Food sales continue to grow at convenience stores, especially during a few key dayparts. However, competition from QSRs could encroach on your sales. Hosted by: Jeff Lenard About our Guest: David Portalatin, Senior Vice President and Industry Advisor, Food and Foodservice, Circana David is a trusted industry advisor who works closely with leading food manufacturers and retailers as well as foodservice distributors, manufacturers, and operators. He shares data and deep expertise on how U.S. consumers eat and drink, their attitudes and motivations, their personal characteristics, and their use of restaurants and other foodservice outlets. Portalatin is also the author of Circana's Annual Report on Eating Patterns in America, a compilation of food and foodservice research.

A look at the top 50 fuels retailers by efficiency—including sales at the pump and inside the store—and what you can learn from them. Hosted by: Jeff Lenard About our Guests: Brian Norris, Executive Director of Retail Fuels, OPIS Brian has been with OPIS for nearly 20 years. Over the last 13 years, Brian's focus has been ensuring the accuracy and integrity of OPIS retail pricing, margin, market share and volume data—plus helping develop the suite of OPIS retail analytics products. Keith Reid, Editorial Director, Fuels Market News Keith has covered the fuels retailing industry for more than 20 years. In 2013, he helped found FMN Media LLC, a multifaceted digital and print media company that focuses on the needs of petroleum marketers, retailers and commercial fuel buyers. The company was acquired by NACS in 2020.

When you talk to shoppers who seek out businesses, one unique advantage rises to the top — they want to shop at places that have a true understanding of the communities they serve. In other words, they act local. How can your business be seen as a community champion? Hosted by: Jeff Lenard About our Guest: Erin Wroge, Senior Director of Energy Marketing at CHS Inc. (Cenex®) Erin is responsible for Cenex® brand marketing, including support of more than 1,400 convenience store locations across 19 states. Erin has over 11 years of experience at CHS in the energy industry. During this time, she has held roles collaborating with various marketing teams across energy businesses. Additionally, she has led initiatives to develop impactful programs designed to educate customers about technical advantages, key considerations and innovative trends within both the convenience retail and energy product industries, including refined fuels, lubricants and propane. Erin leverages her expertise to provide customers with critical insights into how the Cenex® brand may provide growth opportunities for their operations, while enhancing customer experience and equipment performance.