May 2023 Member Meeting

Angel of the Winds Casino and Resort in Arlington, WA

Not yet a TCSA member? Your first meeting is FREE.*

*Available to tribes who are not (and have not been) TCSA members (or sponsors), and who have not joined for free previously.

Join us in Arlington, WA this May for a two-day member meeting packed with industry insights from familiar faces!

Event Description
Has your tribe been wondering about the state of food service post-pandemic? Join us for our upcoming membership meeting where we will take the pulse on the food industry coming out of the pandemic and share ways your c-store can stay ahead of the curve.

Member Mixer (5/17/2023 @ 5:00 pm - 7:00 pm)
All members and sponsors are welcome to an evening of fun, connecting, and networking that you won't want to miss! Meet us for hors d’oeuvres and drinks in the Rivers Run Rooms 2 & 3 at the Angel of the Winds Casino and Resort in Arlington, WA.

Member Meeting (5/18/2023 @ 9:00 am - 4:30pm)
Angel of the Winds Casino and Resort in Arlington, WA.

MEETING AGENDA
— Pacific Time Zone —

8:00 - 9:00 am: Breakfast and Registration

9:00 - 9:20 am: Introduction

9:20 - 9:30 am: 2023 Benchmarking Survey Overview

9:30 - 10:20 am: “Pulse on the Food Industry”

10:20 - 10:50 am: Morning Break

10:50 - 11:20 am: Back to Basics, Safety and Sanitation Practices for Line Level Team Members

11:20 am - 12:05 pm: Food Service Equipment - Hot Case & Cold Case

12:05 - 1:05 pm: Lunch Break

1:05 - 2:05 pm: Food Marketing - TCSA Member Panel of Experts

2:05 - 2:25 pm: Afternoon Break

2:25 - 3:25 pm: "Food Service Becoming A Destination"

3:25 - 3:55 pm: New Product Tastings & Power Buys

3:55 pm: Announcements and Adjourn

Hotel Suites

Angel of the Winds Casino and Resort

360-474-9740

Holiday Inn Express & Suites Marysville

360-530-1234

Home2 Suites by Hilton Marysville

360-722-3600

Best Western Plus Arlington

360-363-4321

Date

Thursday, May 18, 2023

Time

9:00–4:30 (Pacific)

Format

In-person + Virtual

Who

Members + Sponsors

Location

Angel of the Winds Casino and Resort in Arlington, WA

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Full Meeting Agenda Icon: PDF

Speakers

Christopher Rapanick

Managing Director, NACS Research

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Chris Rapanick is the managing director of research at NACS. Chris manages the five-person team that produces, the NACS State of the Industry Report, The State of the Industry Summit, SOI Compensation Report, Convenience Voices Shopper Insights Program, the CSX Benchmarking Database and thought leadership whitepapers published by NACS.

Chris came to NACS from Coca-Cola Enterprises with a love of data and the convenience channel. In his 14-year career with NACS, he has dedicated himself to helping retailers make better decisions by using data analysis and suppliers “speak the retailers’ language” by understanding the details of their business model.

Chris started his career in retail managing grocery stores for a prominent retailer in the southeast. He earned his bachelor’s and master’s degrees in business administration from Old Dominion University in Norfolk, VA.

Tony Liberal

TCSA Vice-Chairperson

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I currently work for the Medicine Creek Enterprise Corporation(MCEC) a Nisqually Indian Tribe business. My current role is Director of Operations for MCEC and I have oversite of our retail division Nisqually Markets.

I started working for Nisqually in 2014 and I was introduced to the Legend Ron Myers. Ron invited me to my first meeting as a guest. I found the organization's educational sessions very helpful and informative. I was also able to network with dozens of members that have been in the industry for many years. TCSA was a perfect fit for training and best practices and I had to make sure Nisqually Markets was involved.

My first experience with TCSA was a board meeting where I attended as a guest with Ron Myers. I was able to witness firsthand how a meeting was planned and executed. I was actually amazed at how much work went into a meeting. Board members making sure there was real-world value for the tribe members in regards to speakers and content. The next day was the actual meeting and seeing all the tribes together learning, networking, and sharing best practices was amazing to me. After that, I knew at some point I wanted to get involved and bring my experience to the board.

I have a passion for coaching football and I devote countless hours volunteering and coaching youth tackle football programs and youth specialty football clinics. Along with coaching, I volunteer and serve on multiple nonprofit youth football programs' boards of directors. I enjoy every minute of coaching and mentoring young student-athletes.

Naja Hogander

Director of Food and Beverage, Nisqually Red Wind Casino

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Hospitality is my passion and the opportunity to serve others in so many ways is very gratifying. To have the opportunity to share my knowledge with others brings me joy. Over 30 years in the food and beverage industry including hotels, restaurants, senior living and now working at the Nisqually Red Wind Casino as the Food and Beverage Director.

Joshua Pearce

Contract Sales and Project Manager, Bargreen Ellingson

Meghan Berry

Project Coordinator and Customer Service Manager, Bargreen Ellingson

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Experienced training and operations manager with a demonstrated history of working in the food & beverages industry. Skilled in Catering, Sales, Retail, Customer Relationship Management (CRM), and Team Building. Strong consulting professional with a BBA focused in Business, Human Resources from Pacific Lutheran University - School of Business.

Lisa Heustess

Sales and Customer Service Representative, Bargreen Ellingson

Nick Musser

Corporate Chef, Bargreen Ellingson

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I've had 40 plus years in the Food Service Industry in culinary and management. I worked my way up the ranks in fine dining/full service restaurants in the greater Seattle market with the crown jewel of my career being as the corporate executive chef/district manager/general manager of a company of multiple restaurants for 20 years. I have since transitioned to one of the top restaurant equipment distributors in the nation as corporate chef specializing in culinary consultation, commercial kitchen design/flow and restaurant equipment training and education.

Charie Coulliette

Retail General Manager, Nisqually Markets

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I am the Retail General Manager for the Nisqually Markets. Nisqually has 6 locations, with 4 of them being fuel stations. I have been with the Markets since June of 2014. I am a part of the day-to-day operations and growing our current locations—exciting things to be done in the c-store industry and the economic growth for the Nisqually Tribe.

I joined TCSA because I wanted to be a part of such a dynamic team. This platform has done amazing things for me, such as networking capabilities and sharing ideas, and getting ideas from other members. The relationships I have formed have been a true blessing. It is a gift to be apart of this organization.

I wanted to join the Board because I had seen a need for diversity, and after talking this over with Chris Richardson, he encouraged me to run. I want to learn from fellow members about what works and what doesn't work. How do we continue to provide educational material and stay relevant as c-store operators? Ways to improve are ever-evolving. The passion that I had witnessed was invigorating.

I have two children that are my reason for challenging myself every day. I have a beautiful dog Max who I consider my 3rd child. When I'm not cleaning up Max's hair, I love to watch football and spend time with family and friends.

James Beasley

District Manager, Kalispel Tribal Economic Authority

Isaiah Coley

Store Manager, Chehalis Tribal Enterprise

Brad Halverson

Principal, Clearbrand CX

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Brad formed Clearbrand in 2015, providing Retail Growth & Transformation through Customer Experience [CX] Design. Clearbrand leads with a customer-centric and data-driven approach to Store Design, Interior Spaces, Fixture Planning, Signage, Décor, Brand Platforms, Marketing Strategy, Digital, and Loyalty programs. Brad’s 23+ years in retail includes sales, marketing, product management and store development leadership, including at one of the most admired independent grocers in the United States.

Clearbrand provides services to grocery stores, convenience stores, food retail, and product CPG brands in Washington, Oregon, California, Idaho, Alaska, Colorado, Utah, Illinois, Texas, Mississippi, and Virginia.

Lisa Johnson

Foodservice Manager, Harbor Wholesale

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Lisa Johnson is the Foodservice Manager for Harbor Wholesale. She leads a team of Foodservice Sales Developers and Business Advisors. Lisa is passionate about finding solutions for customer growth and adaptation in the foodservice category. Lisa is responsible for the development and performance of the foodservice category at Harbor and works closely with category management to identify new item and program opportunities to support customers.

Ryan Stamatz

Category Manager of National Foodservice Brands, Harbor Wholesale

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Ryan Stamatz is the Category Manager of National Foodservice Brands for Harbor Wholesale. Ryan recently transitioned into foodservice category management after spending the greater part of 20 plus years in sales. He brings a unique, customer-focused approach to category management. Ryan invariably looks for opportunities to create synergies between manufacturers, Harbor Wholesale, and Harbor’s expansive customer base. Ryan firmly believes in doing what’s best for the customer when evaluating foodservice products and program opportunities.