The Women Grocers of America (WGA) has presented U.S. Sen. Heidi Heitkamp of North Dakota with its inaugural Legislator of the Year Award in recognition of her work to support the independent supermarket industry and sustained commitment to women entrepreneurs.
WGA, an affiliate program of the National Grocers Association (NGA), was formed to advance women in the supermarket industry by recruiting and retaining the next generation through scholarships, awards and professional development opportunities.
“North Dakota’s businesses, including its independent grocers, help boost our state’s economy and feed our state’s growing population,” said Heitkamp. “It’s an honor to receive this award, and it’s particularly meaningful since the award is presented by a group of women leaders. We’ve seen a great deal of growth of women-owned businesses across the country, and North Dakota is leading the way. With the help of organizations like WGA, we can enable more female entrepreneurs to get the support and encouragement they need to build and expand businesses that create good jobs and support local economies.”
Presenting the award to Sen. Heitkamp was Kristi Magnuson-Nelson, president of Hugo’s Supermarkets, based in Grand Forks, North Dakota. “Independent grocers are an important part of the backbone of North Dakota’s economy, responsible for over 4,000 jobs and nearly $95 million in wages paid. Sen. Heitkamp has been a strong supporter of North Dakota’s independent and family-owned supermarket industry. On behalf of WGA, and my family-owned business, which has been serving North Dakotans for over 75 years, I am pleased to present Sen. Heitkamp with this award.”
Added NGA President and CEO Peter J. Larkin, “Sen. Heitkamp has a longstanding record of supporting the independent supermarket industry as well as initiatives to help female business owners succeed. She is also highly regarded for her ability to reach across the aisle to provide commonsense solutions that are important to business owners in North Dakota and nationwide. We look forward to continuing to work with her as we address a number of vital legislative challenges impacting independent grocers.”
Heitkamp is the first female senator elected from North Dakota. She took the oath of office on Jan. 3, 2013. Heitkamp sits on the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry, where she helped write, negotiate and pass a long-term, comprehensive Farm Bill that Congress passed in 2014.
The award presentation, held Tuesday, was made possible through the sponsorship of Shelby Publishing Co.
Find more photos from the award ceremony here.
