CGA's Fong, Askew Bailey Receive FMI MacManus Award

The Food Marketing Institute (FMI) has honored Ronald Fong and Keri Askew Bailey of the California Grocers Association with its Donald H. MacManus Award, in recognition of their commitment to public affairs and community and industry outreach in California.

“FMI depends on its collaboration with our state association partners across the country to help advance the industry’s priorities at the state level, and the Donald H. MacManus Award is a testament to FMI’s partnership within the states,” said FMI President/CEO Leslie G. Sarasin.

Sarasin further noted that the winning executives "exemplify the power of grassroots through their tireless advocacy efforts," particularly on issues related to the defeat of Proposition 37; fighting local proposals for warning labels and taxes on sugar-sweetened beverages; and passing a state-wide plastic bag bill with preemption over local ordinances.

As CGA President/CEO, Fong oversees the association’s strategic direction and staff, which manages departments in government relations, communications, member services and business conferences.

Fong is also a political strategist whose legislative alliances include the CGA merger with the California Independent Grocers Association (CIGA); the 2012 alliance with national grocery associations to defeat statewide legislation on GMO-labeling requirements; and CGA’s efforts in passing the first statewide bag usage law in 2014.

As CGA's SVP of government relations and public policy, Askew Bailey has worked on policy issues including Proposition 65; the Green Chemistry Initiative; a statewide ban on single-use plastic grocery bags; attempts to curb deployment of assisted self-checkout technology in the state; and proposed state and local GMO and sugar-sweetened beverage labeling.