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AGA NEWS
GROCERY INDUSTRY VETERAN RECEIVES PRESTIGIOUS FMI AWARD
Food Marketing Institute (FMI)
recognized Peter V. “Greg” Gregerson,
president and CEO of Gregerson’s Food
and Pharmacy Inc., for two decades
of government relations advocacy for
FMI and the food retail industry on
Capitol Hill in both Washington, D.C.,
and Montgomery, Ala. FMI honored
Gregerson with its Glen P. Woodard Award
for Public Affairs at the organization’s
professional development event, Future
Leaders eXperience.
Gregerson’s three-store operation with
a stand-alone drug store has been a
mainstay in Gadsden, and consistent
with the Woodard Award, Gregerson has
been committed to his community and
the greater industry at large by serving
in a significant leadership capacity with
the FMI Board of Directors as its vice
chairman of FMI Public Affairs.
FMI Chief Public Policy Officer & Senior
Vice President, Government Relations,
Jennifer Hatcher recalled, “Greg was
the first FMI member who greeted me
personally when I came to work for FMI,
as I had already known him
and his stellar reputation from
my work on Capitol Hill,
and I’m a witness to his deep
dedication to our organization
and the food industry –
notably, in the two decades I’ve
known him, he has not missed
a single Day in Washington
advocacy event.”
“He is devoted to critical
industry issues such as swipe
fee reform, most evident in
his willingness to come back
to Washington for a special
plea to then Senate Banking
Committee Chairman, Sen.
Richard Shelby (R-AL) to
preserve the 2010 debit reforms, which we
argue have increased competition, fostered
increased security and helped to contain
costs,” she added.
Hatcher further commended Gregerson’s
sense of community in rallying around
industry issues, even when some
regulations he advocated for and against
in Washington may not directly and
immediately apply to his business.
She said, “Greg doesn’t hesitate to wear
a broad industry hat when he represents
FMI in Washington. For instance, even
though Greg is an independent operator,
he remains resolute in his stance against
the application of a chain restaurant menu
labeling rule that has sweeping business
implications for establishments with 20 or
more locations.
"Since his representative is a key member
of the U.S. House of Representatives
Committee on Appropriations, Gregerson
continues to play a strategic role in
advocating for legislation that offers
solutions for less costly and more flexible
ways of sharing nutrition information with
customers.”
Gregerson’s successes have been well
documented. He received the Community
Impact award in 2010 from the Gadsden
Chamber of Commerce. He’s been
named both Alabama Grocer of the Year
(2011) and Retailer of the Year (2012) by
the Alabama Grocers Association and
Alabama Retail Association, respectively.
He was also the Rotary Club’s Paul Harris
Fellow.
In addition to his role with FMI, he
continues to serve on a diverse set of
boards that represent both business
and community: the Alabama Grocers
Association, WinSouth Credit Union,
Gadsden Etowah Industrial Development
Authority, Greenville, S.C., Shriners
Hospital for Children and was recently
reappointed by the Governor to the
Alabama Small Business Commission.
Gregerson and his wife Marcy have four
daughters and eight grandchildren.
Greg Gregerson, Gregerson's Food and Pharmacy Inc.,
receives Glen P. Woodard Award for Public Affairs from
Leslie Sarasin, FMI and Kevin Davis, Bristol Farms.
| ALABAMA GROCER
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