The number of women in leadership roles in the c-store channel is increasing.
Women lead 6% of the largest chains in the convenience industry—up from 3% in 2023, according to an evaluation of CSP’s 2024 Top 202 list of the top U.S. c-store chains by store count.
CSP spoke to Terry Black (pictured left), director of RaceTrac’s Procurement Center of Excellence, about how she has put her Convenience-Store Women’s event learnings to work after the inaugural event in November and how she's advanced her career and workplace for women.
Black, director of RaceTrac’s Procurement Center of Excellence, describes herself as having a strong work ethic, but when it comes to her success, she gives God the credit.
Black has been in corporate environments for more than 20 years. She joined RaceTrac in 2016 and since then has had four promotions within the company. When asked what has kept her inspired to keep growing, Black mentions her faith.
“God told me that I am on assignment, so that means that I can’t leave until my assignment is done,” she says.
Embracing that she is here for a reason, Black’s role at RaceTrac includes building strategies and processes for contract renewals, business analytics, vendor database management and more.
She oversees a nine-member team.
“I always love training people because my philosophy is, ‘I’m going to teach you everything I know,’” Black says.
Working in the c-store channel, Black says it’s an industry with a collaborative spirit. “What I’ve seen in this industry is partnership,” she says. “There are a lot of people willing to help as well as give.”
Black has been working since she was 14 and has always had a drive to work.
“Hard work doesn’t bother me because I recognize that is sometimes part of our quest,” she says.
She emphasizes her admiration for the Atlanta-based convenience retailer and the environment it brings to the more than 10,500 people across its retail brands and affiliated companies Metroplex Energy, Energy Dispatch and Gulf Oil.
RaceTrac is No. 17 on CSP’s 2024 Top 202 ranking of convenience-store chains by store count.
“RaceTrac offers a lot of flexibility to be that entrepreneurial spirit and to be able to showcase your talents through your work,” she says.
At RaceTrac, she says that the recognition employees get from their direct managers or even managers in a higher position goes a long way. Black recalls how encouragement led her to go outside of her comfort zone.
Career Pathway
Prior to her current position, Black was in RaceTrac’s sourcing department, and her former and current managers told her that her talents would benefit the company’s procurement operations team. She says her first reaction was fear because she loved sourcing and was unfamiliar with duties in procurement, but looking back, Black appreciates the motivation.
“They saw something in me that I didn’t see myself,” she says. “Now I love procurement.”
At CSW, Black took the stage with Alexandria Venison, RaceTrac’s procurement contract manager, in a session where executives such as Black were paired with emerging leaders to share their work experiences and career journeys.
Black and Venison knew each other beforehand, having both worked at Macy’s.
“We met and talked about the culture at RaceTrac, and how it differs from Macy’s,” Venison said on stage. “At RaceTrac, people leave the door open so you can ask questions, or they will connect you with the right person to answer your questions.”
While Black was on stage with Venison, the leaders mentioned the importance of three actionable steps that have been empowering at RaceTrac and encouraged others in the audience to consider these steps as well—maintain open communication, lead with love and accept uncomfortable challenges.
When it comes to helping others achieve satisfaction in their careers, seeking divine guidance is a top priority, Black says.
“Someone came up to me a week ago about pivoting in their career, and my answer to them was go to God because a lot of times people make changes and it’s not in alignment to their purpose and how they are to serve,” she says.
She believes this forces unhappy people to be in spaces they are not supposed to be in.
“My advice to anyone is to ask God for your path so you can be happy in what you do, because we’re supposed to serve in a gleeful spirit,” she says.
Members help make our journalism possible. Become a CSP member today and unlock exclusive benefits, including unlimited access to all of our content. Sign up here.