The New Jersey Food Council (NJFC) will host a “Night of Distinction” reception Thursday, March 28, at 5:30 p.m. at The Palace at Somerset Park in Somerset, New Jersey. The event will draw more than 500 guests, including food industry executives.
“This is the perfect time to celebrate the industry and its leaders who have made such significant contributions to advance one of New Jersey’s most important business sectors,” said Linda Doherty, president, NJFC. “The honorees have all achieved significant food business success and have a history of civic service within the New Jersey food community. It is our honor to honor them with our annual Industry Achievement Awards.”
This year’s honorees are Jeffrey Brown, founder, president and CEO of Brown’s Super Stores; Herman E. Dodson, executive director and relationship executive for J.P. Morgan Chase; Joseph Parisi, SVP of Kings Food Markets; and Donna Zambo, VP and chief marketing officer for Allegiance Retail Services.
Brown operates a 13-store supermarket chain trading under both the ShopRite and Fresh Grocer banners. Brown’s Super Stores was recognized as one of “The Best Places to Work” multiple years in a row by the Philadelphia Business Journal and has received recognition as a top employer in the region from The Philadelphia Inquirer, Philadelphia Daily News and NJBiz. In 2017, Brown’s Super Stores were recognized by the National Fund for Workforce Solutions as a “Young Adult Employer Champion.” Brown is the founder and chairman of UpLift Solutions, a national nonprofit organization that supports food businesses, government and nonprofits to create sustainable environments for underserved communities.
Dodson develops strategic level relationships with CEOs and business owners as a banker within the New Jersey Middle Market Group. His focus is on companies with revenues of $50-500 million with an additional focus within the food industry sector. He provides banking services for the largest employer in New Jersey, notably the largest co-operative group of supermarkets in the nation.
Parisi is a veteran of the food industry with 38 years of experience in food retail. He began his career at Kings Food Markets as a store manager almost 28 years ago and now oversees all 25 Kings stores. He leads the operations, engineering and maintenance teams, as well as overseeing all new store build-outs as the company continues to grow and expand. The in-store experience at Kings is a hallmark of the brand and Parisi’s knowledge, experience and leadership have contributed to every facet of that success. He also serves on the NJFC board of directors.
Zambo is charged with oversight of information technology, marketing and advertising, digital commerce and insights and analytics for Allegiance Retail Services. She began her grocery career 30 years ago at Pathmark, working in consumer research. She has a passion for the consumer and is driven to arming the Allegiance members with marketing tools and insights. She serves as vice chair of the NJFC e-commerce committee.
This event will include an industry recognition ceremony, live music and a silent auction that supports the NJFC Educational Development Scholarship Program.
The NJFC is the Garden State’s trade association representing almost 400 companies including 1,200 retail food stores, wholesalers, manufacturing and service companies that collectively employ more than 200,000 associates in New Jersey.
