Page 15 - NSA GALA JOURNAL 2011

These are exciting times for the NSA!
We face many challenges that have impacted the independent supermarket industry and our members, especially in New York City, but we stand unified to face those challenges. From retail giants threats to increasing government regulations our members have shown resilience and unmatched dedication to confront and overcome those challenges.
The National Supermarket Association provides the platform for our members who have common interests, problems and opportunities to obtain the tools and support necessary to confront those issues and capture the opportunities at hand.
I am honored to work with a very dedicated group of men comprised by our President and Board of Directors. These individuals have devoted hundreds of hours over the past year, outside of their stores, to insure that our goals and vision are realized for the benefit of the association and its members.
The journey to become a stronger more unified and better-organized NSA has begun. I encourage each and every member to join us in the journey by participating in the monthly Assembly meetings, visiting the website and attending the events, workshops and seminars offered by the association.
Some of the goals we accomplished this year include the completion of the first phase of our website, which provides relevant information on the NSA and the industry; we conducted important seminars and workshops for our members, and working with JP Morgan have resolved many of the EBT issues faced by our member’s stores, and continue to look for long term solutions to these issues.
The NSA Golf Classic benefiting our Scholarship Foundation and the Scholarship Dinner were very successful. At the dinner more than $90,000 in scholarships were granted to deserving students from neighborhoods served by our member’s stores. The NSA International Trade & Sales Show grew to capacity; we were honored to welcome new and recurring companies. And last but not least, the NSA logo was refreshed maintaining its core values, but updating its look.
I want to take this opportunity to thank all the NSA members for their support and participation in the Assembly meetings throughout the year. Many of you travel long distances and most of you take time out of your stores to attend these important meetings, and for that we are grateful.
On behalf of our members, we want to thank all the companies that have actively supported the association this year, those who believed, and had the confidence in the association’s mission and objectives. We could not have done it without your support.
Our vision for the future encompasses a stronger association, where members are unified for the betterment of the group, their businesses and the industry as a whole.
Zulema Wiscovitch