The Sales Managers Club of San Francisco (SMC) held its last Hi-Jinks luncheon in December. The Hi-Jinks event is not going away, but will be sponsored by a new organization this year—the Northern California Food Industry Sales Association (FISA).
FISA is the new organization formed by the merger of SMC and the Northern California Food Brokers Association (NFBA).
Both organizations have long heritage in the market. SMC began in 1926; NFBA in 1909. The current officers and members of both organizations agreed that a merger was needed to create a stronger presence and advocacy in the Northern California market.
A committee representing both groups spent several months creating new by-laws, a new name and a logo for FISA, and they “hope to preserve the best of both organizations with the new one,” the groups said.
Larry Nonn from Coca-Cola/Odwalla DSD will serve as the first FISA president. Kim Yates from Nature’s Bakery and Dianne Ellison from Advantage Solutions will serve as co-VPs; Eric Slabaugh from Nulaid Foods is treasurer; and Stuart Arnott from Acosta is secretary. 2016 SMC President Tracy Lape will serve along with 2016 NFBA President John Noll as past president advisors.
The event drew a number of guests from area retailers and wholesalers, including Albertsons/Safeway, Save Mart, Raley’s, C&S, Grocery Outlet, Mollie Stone’s and Unified Grocers, SMC said.
Lape said the decision to merge the two organizations “did not come lightly. Representatives from both clubs met for several months to explore the opportunity,” she said.
The merger committee included: John Noll of Co-Sales, 2016 NFBA president; Stuart Arnott of Acosta, a board member of both organizations; Nonn; Mike Wickman, Sales Mark; Kent Kunsman, ASR Group; Kim Yates, Nature’s Bakery; Mike Munoz, Impact Sales; and Dianne Ellison, Advantage Solutions.
“Both clubs had long heritages to consider,” Lape noted. “With support from the retailers that are here today, the decision was made and approved by both organizations to create the Northern California Food Industry Sales Association. Members of each club will retain that membership in the new organization. Past presidents from both groups will be recognized under the heritage of their respective organizations.”
She said SMC’s main purpose has been to raise funds for scholarships for both retailer and club member families. Since the scholarship fund was begun in 1995, the group has awarded nearly $200,000 to college students from the Northern California market.
For the past several years, Denise Bartow Capone has been chair of that committee, “and I am happy to announce she will continue as scholarship chair in the new organization,” Lape said.
She added that “today is bittersweet—a goodbye to an iconic club that served the Northern California market for 90 years. But also an exciting new beginning of what we believe will be a stronger organization that will represent the best of both organizations and, most importantly, to continue to support our retailer and member families by awarding annual scholarships.”
The last solo SMC Hi-Jinks was attended by several past presidents and former members, who were recognized from the podium. Members of the new board also were announced.
In addition, Gary Pogue was recognized with the 2016 President’s Award, which is given to non-officer member who contributed significantly to the club. Pogue served as sergeant at arms, coordinates the Marines’ Toys for Tots drive and served on the merger committee. (More than 200 toys were donated to the Marines Toys for Tots Drive this year.)
The group also honored “dear friend” and longtime SMC member Bob Wilson, who passed away in October. Wilson was retired from Nestlé/Dreyers Grand Ice Cream and had served as president of the club in 2002 and had won the President’s Award twice, in 1993 and 2012.
“Bob was always the first to offer help of any kind to anyone in the club and worked tirelessly on events,” Lape said. “Bob was a friend to almost everyone in this room and leaves a wonderful legacy of warmth, humor, laughter and support. I know we all miss him; he was one of a kind. Normally, I would ask for a moment of silence, but silence was never Bob’s style. Let’s give Bob a rousing cheer—I know he can hear us—1-2-3, hip, hip, hooray!”
*Editor’s note: Find photos from the SMC Hi-Jinks luncheon in the February print edition of The Shelby Report of the West.
