ALBANY, N.Y. -- The New York Association of Convenience Stores (NYACS) has elected Doug Galli and Kirk Leff to the New York Convenience Store Hall of Fame.
The Hall of Fame, established in 1996, honors individual retailers and suppliers for exceptional achievement in and distinguished service to New York’s convenience-store industry. NYACS's retail membership consists of 130 companies that operate c-stores ranging in size from one store to more than 300. Its retail members operate more than 1,600 store locations that serve nearly 1.3 million customers a day. The Albany, N.Y.-based group also has about 150 associate members that supply products and services that c-stores sell or use.
NYACS will induct Galli and Leff into the Hall of Fame at the association's annual Chairman’s Banquet on May 17 in Syracuse, N.Y.
Doug Galli
Doug Galli is vice president and general manager of the Crosby’s chain of c-stores owned by Reid Petroleum Inc., Lockport, N.Y.
Crosby’s has 85 locations throughout Western New York and Northwestern Pennsylvania.
Galli has served on the NYACS Retail Board since 2012 and was chairman for two years. Under his leadership, NYACS elevated the quality of its educational programming at the annual Trade Show & Convention, a key to improving retail attendance each of the past three years.
Before joining Crosby’s in 2004, Galli spent 29 years with Tops Markets, working in both the Tops and Wilson Farms c-store divisions.
Kirk Leff
Kirk Leff retired in March after 28 years with wholesale distributor McLane Co. Inc., most recently as its vice president of sales, marketing and business development.
McLane provides grocery and foodservice supply-chain services for c-stores, mass merchants, drug stores and chain restaurants. It operates more than 80 distribution centers and buys, sells and delivers more than 50,000 different consumer products to nearly 110,000 locations nationwide. McLane is a wholly owned unit of Berkshire Hathaway Inc., Omaha, Neb.
Leff’s career included an eight-year period as president of McLane’s Northeast Division, based in Baldwinsville, N.Y. During that time, he served on the NYACS Associate Board, including one year as chairman. He joined McLane in 1989 at the Suneast Division in Florida. His career included assignments at McLane Western, McLane Concord, McLane Northwest, McLane Northeast and at the corporate office in Temple, Texas.
After moving from Central New York to Texas in 2010, he remained an ambassador for NYACS with national chains that were acquiring c-stores in New York.
Prior to joining McLane, Leff worked for Walt Disney, Perkins Restaurants and Gooding’s Supermarkets.
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