Fran Preston Receives FMI MacManus Association Executive Award

ARLINGTON, VA — June 10, 2009 — North Carolina Retail Merchants Association (NCRMA) President Fran Preston received the Food Marketing Institute (FMI) Donald H. MacManus Association Executive Award in recognition of her extraordinary leadership in public affairs. The award was presented at the industry’s Washington Public Policy Conference.

     “Fran Preston is a most compelling and effective industry advocate. She uses exceptional communications skills to translate the complex into the meaningful, showing public officials the true impact of proposed laws and regulations. She builds broad-based coalitions to fight for our most important causes. And she adeptly leads multiple associations to leverage their combined strength,” said Leslie G. Sarasin, FMI president and chief executive officer, presenting the award.

Vastly Diverse Coalition Opposes Employee Free Choice Act

Preston’s stellar advocacy against the Employee Free Choice Act illustrates many of her strengths. This Act would eliminate the fundamental American democratic principle of the right to vote in private in elections.

     Preston assembled a 64-member coalition of vastly diverse interests — from retailers to school boards to police departments. Through this coalition, North Carolinians to Preserve Employee Choice, Preston has helped orchestrate a campaign to ensure members of the U.S. Congress understand the flaws in this proposed legislation. Association leaders in other states are following her example.

Fighting Organized Retail Crime With Laws and Stings

At the state level, she is combating organized retail crime, an illicit enterprise that costs merchants up to $30 billion in stolen products each year. Her association strongly supported a 2007 North Carolina law that stiffened the penalties for these crimes and all the ring members involved.

     Preston is exploring a program in which retailers would help law enforcement officials capture the ring members, especially the fences who resell the stolen items. Under this proposed NCRMA initiative, titled Prevent Organized Retail Theft, retailers would assist the FBI and other agencies with undercover sting operations.

North Carolina’s First Female Business Lobbyist Among the Best

Since becoming North Carolina’s first female business lobbyist in 1981, Preston has won accolades for her policy-making prowess, including recognition as one of the state’s best.
     She helped strengthen representation for food retailers and all merchants in North and South Carolina. Under Preston’s leadership in 2004, the North Carolina Food Dealers Association merged with NCRMA and formed the Carolinas Food Industry Council. She assumed the role of executive director. That same year, Preston became executive director of the South Carolina Retail Association.

Partnering With Lawmakers in Hunger-Relief Campaigns

Preston blends her legislative work with community service in hunger-relief campaigns, partnering with the North Carolina State Assembly and Agriculture Department.

Immediately before the Assembly convenes in January, she joins the state House and Senate leaders and agriculture commissioner to launch drives to raise funds and donate products to food banks. State lawmakers and retailers together donate more than $100,000 in food and money each year, including more than $133,000 in 2009.

Background on the MacManus Award

FMI honors an association leader annually with the Donald H. MacManus award, now in its 19th year. This award recognizes an association executive for extraordinary leadership in public affairs, industry relations and community relations. MacManus served the industry for many years as executive director of the Rocky Mountain Food Dealers Association and as FMI’s Western Region director. He also served in the Colorado State Senate, rising to the position of democratic whip.

Note to Editors: High-resolution photos of the award presentation are available upon request.