NGA Foundation Seeking Noms for Executive Leadership Development Program

Scholarships offered to cover cost of attending PepsiCo-sponsored conference

12/15/2022

Executive Leadership Development Program course content will include communication, strategic decision-making, leadership skills in an evolving workforce, and negotiation skills.

The NGA Foundation (NGAF) has opened the nomination process for grocery industry leaders to attend its Executive Leadership Development Program (ELDP). The PepsiCo-sponsored conference, which aims to prepare attendees to face business challenges in the 21st-century marketplace, will take place June 4-8, 2023, at Cornell University, in Ithaca, N.Y.

Each participant will undergo an interactive 360-degree assessment and one-on-one coaching to better understand their leadership style and skills. Course content will include communication, strategic decision-making, leadership skills in an evolving workforce, and negotiation skills. The high-impact learning opportunity encompasses intense, interactive instruction presented by a mix of noted academics and industry leaders.

[Read more: "NGA Foundation Awards 2022 Scholarships"]

“Building these skills is imperative to execute new strategies in the dynamic and ever-changing independent food industry,” noted Chelsea Matzen, director of Washington, D.C.-based NGAF, the 501(c)3 nonprofit arm of the National Grocers Association (NGA). “The ELDP equips rising executives with actionable insights to help grow their companies. Additionally, NGAF is pleased to see PepsiCo’s investment in the diversity of this program being built on by the Women Grocers of America, who are offering a new scholarship for a woman this year.”

There are two scholarships available to cover registration and travel costs:

Diversity in Leadership Scholarship, provided by PepsiCo. Eligible candidates should be from underrepresented backgrounds, including race, color, sex or gender, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, transgender status, or who have otherwise shown an actionable commitment to advancing diversity on such basis.
Women Grocers of America Scholarship. Candidates should be individuals who identify as female.

The program is currently reserved for employees of retailer and wholesaler members of NGA, the national trade association representing the independent sector of the food distribution industry. Participants should be rising mid- to upper-level executives with large spans of control and responsibilities that require delegation of tasks to others.

“Investing in leaders at critical stages in their career will provide them with skills needed to advance up through the executive ranks,” observed Kent Montgomery, head of industry relations at Purchase, N.Y.-based PepsiCo. “As we continue to build on our legacy of leading with diversity, equity and inclusion, PepsiCo is proud to partner with NGAF to provide rising professionals more access to networking and leadership development, giving them the edge they need to propel their companies and careers forward.”

The deadline to submit nominations and apply for scholarships is April 1, 2023. Completed applications may be emailed to [email protected] or mailed to 601 Pennsylvania Ave. NW, North Building, Suite 375, Washington, D.C., 20004.