Tom Wenning, Executive Vice President and General Counsel for the National Grocers Association to Retire by Jordan Okumura

Tom Wenning, Executive Vice President and General Counsel for the National Grocers Association is retiring effective December 31, 2013.

"It has been a real honor and privilege to be a legislative, regulatory and legal advocate on behalf of independent retail grocers and wholesalers for the last forty years before Congress, Presidential administrations, regulatory agencies, and the Courts," said Wenning. "NGA has grown ever stronger over the years in its advocacy on behalf of the independent sector and I've been proud to be a part of that tradition."

The industry veteran assumed his role as Executive Vice President and General Counsel of NGA when the National Association of Retail Grocers of the United States and the Cooperative Food Distributors of America merged on October 1, 1982.

Wenning continued, "When I joined Henry Bison in 1973 I was quickly exposed to the passion and dedication which drove our representation of family-owned, privately held retail grocers and the wholesalers that serve them. It is that entrepreneurial spirit that I've been so proud to represent and I leave knowing that NGA is ever stronger today in representing the independent sector before Congress and President Obama's administration."

Before joining NGA, Wenning was a partner for 9 years with his father-in-law, Henry J. Bison, Jr., in the law firm of Bison and Wenning, according to a press release.

"There are probably only a handful of people who are as respected and admired both in Washington, DC and throughout the food industry than Tom Wenning," said Peter J. Larkin, President & CEO, NGA. "I've had the pleasure to call Tom a friend throughout my years in the industry, but it was not until I joined NGA that I had the honor to work beside him and witness firsthand the respect and admiration our members and so many in Washington, DC have for him."

Congratulations, Tom, on the upcoming retirement!

National Grocers Association