Kevin Smartt, CEO and president of Kwik Chek Food Stores, has been named the 2020-21 NACS chairman. He began his term following the virtual NACS Board of Directors meeting on October 13.

Kwik Chek Food Stores is a 47-store chain with locations across Texas and Oklahoma. Over the past 15 years, the chain has doubled in size, developed a unique customer loyalty program and is implementing cutting edge point-of-sale technology. Under Smartt’s leadership, Kwik Chek has become a leader in charitable giving programs, including the donation of hundreds of thank-you bags with food and water distributed to frontline hospital workers, as well as its long-standing support of CASA of Central Texas. In addition, Smartt is the owner and CEO of McCraw Oil Company, a fuel wholesale distribution company; McCraw Transport Inc., a fuel delivery company; and Texas Born, a food product company.

In 2020, Kwik Chek began rebranding to Texas Born (TXB), which emphasizes the company’s Texan roots and values that the brand has been built around.

Smartt also leads the NACS Executive Committee, which provides strategic direction and financial oversight to the association. Committee members are:

• Vice Chairman, Treasurer: Jared Scheeler, The Hub Convenience Stores Inc. (Dickinson, N.D.)
• Vice Chairman, Strategic Communications: Ken Parent, Pilot Flying J LLC (Knoxville, Tenn.)
• Vice Chairman, Legislative: Don Rhoads, The Convenience Group LLC (Vancouver, Wash.)
• Vice Chairman, Member Services: Lisa Dell’Alba, Square One Markets Inc. (Bethlehem, Pa.)
• Vice Chairman, Research and Technology: Andy Jones, Sprint Food Stores Inc. (Wrens, Ga.)
• Vice Chairman: Victor Paterno, Philippine Seven Corp. dba 7-Eleven Convenience Store (Mandaluyong, Philippines)
• Vice Chairman: Brian Hannasch, Alimentation Couche-Tard Inc. (Laval, Quebec, Canada)

Two past chairmen, 2019-20 NACS Chairman Julie Jackowski and 2018-19 NACS Chairman Frank Gleeson, also serve on the Executive Committee.

During the meeting, NACS also named three new retail members to its Board of Directors:

Chris Bambury, vice president, Bambury Inc. (Sonoma, Calif.); George Fournier, president, EG America LLC (Westborough, Mass.); and Ina (Missy) Matthews, owner, Childers Oil Co. (Whitesburg, Ky.).

A member-driven organization, NACS is led by a 30-member Board of Directors, which includes three retailers from non-North American countries.