NACS recognized 10 convenience store employees who earned scholarships through the NACS Scholarship Program in Memory of Jim Yates at a reception on Oct. 7 during the NACS Show in Atlanta.
The annual scholarships recognize convenience store employees for their dedication to achieving excellence in retailing, strong leadership skills and persistence in the pursuit of education.
The 2010 scholarship winners are:
· Allen Bizjak, store manager Racetrac Petroleum Inc. (St. Petersburg, Fla.)
· Carrie Castille, manager, petroleum marketing, Tom Thumb Food Stores Inc. (Crestview, FL)
· Alexander Gunaka, detail assistant manager II, Delta Sonic Car Wash Systems (Crestwood, Ill.)
· Pamela Kienast, director, human resources, Wayne Oil Co. Inc. (Kinston, N.C.)
· Amanda Richert, marketing category analyst, Thorntons Inc. (Clarksville, Ind.)
· Luis Rodriguez, district manager, Murphy Oil USA Inc. (Pharr, Texas)
· Jacqueline Renee Rutherford, assistant fuel integration coordinator, Houchens Industries Inc. (Bowling Green, Ky.)
· Pamela Dianne Stanford, store manager, Triangle Stop Food Stores (Hendersonville, N.C.)
· Kyle Strese, shift leader, Kwik Trip Inc. (Rosemount, Minn,)
· Kerry Susan Thurlow, area training manager/store manager, Honey Farms Inc. (Webster, Mass.)
NACS established the program in 1999 in memory of Jim Yates, founder of E-Z Mart Stores Inc. and 1992-1993 NACS chairman. Each scholarship winner receives $3,000 for costs of career education (community college or a four-year college) and complimentary registration and travel to the NACS Show.
“NACS is pleased to be able to award scholarships to this group of outstanding people who are working hard to achieve excellence in retailing while persistently pursuing education,” said Selection Committee Chairman Sonja Hubbard, CEO of E-Z Mart Stores. “These scholarships recognize excellence in the industry and assist valued employees in advancing,” she added.
Through its Convenience Store Foundation for Education and Research, NACS is helping its retail members recognize and develop future convenience store industry leaders through the NACS Scholarship Program in Memory of Jim Yates, and most recently the NACS Internship Program in Memory of Teri Richman, a self-sustaining internship program that is open to deserving undergraduate or graduate students, with a particular emphasis on advocacy and research.
Investment in these programs supports the journey that today’s convenience store employees are taking to become tomorrow’s bright and promising industry innovators and entrepreneurs. More information on the programs can be found at nacsonline.com/nacsfoundation.
The NACS Show, which runs through Friday at the Georgia World Congress Center, is ranked as one of the 50 largest annual tradeshows in the U.S. For the most up-to-date news and information on the event go to www.nacsshow.com.