ShopRite’s Richard Saker to Be NJFC Chair

At the New Jersey Food Council’s (NJFC) annual membership meeting, slated for Tuesday, Jan. 24, at the Forsgate Country Club in Monroe Township, the organization will elect its new officers and board of directors, including the new chair, Richard J. Saker, who is currently vice chair.

Saker is the chairman, president and CEO of Freehold-based Saker Holdings Corp. and Saker ShopRites Inc., owner and operator of 30 ShopRite Supermarkets, 29 pharmacies, two liquor stores and Dearborn Market and Garden Center. According to the NJFC, Saker ShopRites is one of the highest average-volume-per-store supermarket chains in the country, employing almost 9,000 associates.

Additionally joining as officers are Vice Chair Mike Murphy, SVP of QuickChek Corp., and Secretary Joe Sofia, SVP of Wegmans Food Markets.

Associate Vice Chair Joe McCarthy, VP metro Atlantic of Bimbo Bakeries, and Treasurer Mike Rothwell, VP and general manager of Pennington Quality Market, will continue in their roles for another term. The full board of directors will also be elected for a new term during the meeting.

The event will also feature a special presentation from New Jersey Lt. Gov. Kim Guadagno.

Based in Trenton, the NJFC represents 1,200 retail food stores, wholesalers, manufacturing and service companies that collectively employ more than 200,000 associates in the Garden State.