Applications are open for the Lisa Dell’Alba Convenience Industry Leadership Scholarship, an award established by the NACS Foundation in memory of the c-store leader who died in February.
The NACS Foundation is the charitable arm of the National Association of Convenience Stores, Alexandria, Virginia. Through the scholarship, each year, two recipients will receive full tuition to attend the NACS Executive Leadership Program at Cornell University. The weeklong immersive leadership development experience is designed to accelerate professional growth and expand leadership capacity, NACS said.
The inaugural scholarship will be awarded in 2026, and with Cornell’s support, a second scholarship will also be awarded annually, NACS said. Eligible candidates must be employed in the convenience retail industry. Applications are open through Feb. 16. Click here for more information and to apply.
The scholarship honors Dell’Alba’s deep commitment to developing the next generation of convenience leaders, NACS said, particularly those from small, independent and family-operated businesses.
“Lisa believed in lifting others up and making people feel seen. This scholarship is a meaningful way to carry her legacy forward and invest in the kind of leadership our industry needs most—humble, authentic and people-first,” said Kevin O’Connell, executive director of the NACS Foundation.
Dell’Alba (pictured below) was president and CEO of the Square One Markets c-store chain when she died in February at age 46. Bethlehem, Pennsylvania-based Square One Markets was founded in 1971 by her father, Gary Dell’Alba. The company’s 11 convenience stores are in five counties across central Pennsylvania.
The scholarship was shaped by an informal steering committee of Dell’Alba’s friends and peers, NACS said, including Lonnie McQuirter, Don and Jennifer Rhoads, Jared Scheeler, Annie Gauthier, Chris Bambury, Jigar Patel, Dee Dhaliwal, Kevin Martello, Julie and Tom Jackowski, Kevin Farley, Larry Jackson, Michael and Bianca Davis and Allison Dean.
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