AGA_2021_ConventionYearbook.indd

Alabama Grocers Association

2021 Annual Convention

Business session speakers

K EYNOTE S PEAKER - R ETAIL S URVIVAL S EMINAR

Norman Mayne is the CEO of Dorothy Lane Market (DLM). He grew up working in the grocery industry with his father, Calvin, who started the business as a fruit stand in 1948. Dorothy Lane Market stores are located in Dayton’s South suburbs and employ approximately 840 people. After DLM filed Chapter 11 bankruptcy in 1967, Norman established a 10-year plan of arrangement to pay creditors to allow the Mayne family to retain ownership. His pledge toward service, innovative merchandising promotion, and associate involvement has been the basis for DLM’s survival. Thus, turning this three- store independent into a Dayton icon today. DLM has been featured in various trade publications such as Progressive Grocer magazine and in Supermarket News. In 2013, Food Marketing Institute (FMI) awarded Norman the achievement for entrepreneurial excellence, the Robert B. Wegman Award. He

currently serves on the board of The Food Marketing Institute and has served on The Coca-Cola Company Chairman’s Council and The Coca-Cola Retailing Research Council. Beyond the brick-and-mortar stores, Norman has also built the fast-growing mail order company, DLM Mail Order. In

addition, The Killer Brownie® Company in recent years has grown to a multi-million-dollar company that has stood on its own. His passion for food retailing is second only to his love for his family, as he and his wife Terry have been married for more than 55 years and have six children.

C HANGES IN C USTOMER B EHAVIOR S EMINAR

Michael Sansolo graduated from the State University of New York College at Cortland with a degree in political science, economics, and journalism. He currently serves as senior vice president of the Food Marketing Institute, the biggest food retail association in the United States. In his 13 years at this position, he has had oversight over all education, supply chain and research activities. Prior to his position at FMI,

of the Coca-Cola Retailing Research Council and serves on the board of The Food Institute and Aisle 7, the makers of Health Notes. Additionally, Sansolo is contributing editor and a weekly columnist for morningnewsbeat.com. Sansolo offers a unique and highly knowledgeable view of the changing nature of today’s shoppers and their impact on the food retail industry. He is a frequent speaker at many industry conferences and company meetings reaching audiences ranging from college students to CEOs of Fortune 100 companies. In his presentation, Michael will be discussing 19 lessons that supermarkets learned during the pandemic with thoughts on how those changes are likely to re-shape the industry in the years to come.

he served as the editor-in-chief of Progressive Grocer, where he authored the magazine’s Annual Report of the Grocery Industry along with many other research-based studies. He has received a number of awards for his writing and reporting capabilities.

In addition to his long-time position at FMI, he is also a member

A LABAMA R EGULATORY P ANEL

We will have an Alabama Regulatory Panel Discussion that will feature: Mr. Mark Sestak of the Alabama Department of Public Health; Mr. Brandon Hardin of the Alabama Department of Human Resources and Ms. Summer Childers of the Alabama ABC Board. It is important to note that during the Panel Discussion the Alabama ABC Board will talk about the new alcohol regulations that were passed during the legislative session.

This will be a must attend session for all retailers that want to participate in home delivery of alcohol. We will also be discussing the most popular violations that are seen in the Department of Public Heath and the Department of Human Resources. Moderating this Panel will be Association President Ellie Taylor.

2021 Convention Annual | Page 12