The New Jersey Food Council (NJFC) brought together hundreds of the region’s top grocery and food service executives at The Palace at Somerset Park for its annual “Night of Distinction” reception. The premiere networking event honored four prominent industry leaders for their lifelong achievements, retail success, and civic contributions to the Garden State’s food community.
The evening serves as a focal point for the trade association, which acts as a powerful collective voice for nearly 400 companies managing 1,200 retail storefronts, wholesale facilities, and manufacturing lines across New Jersey.
“The attendance and ticket sales for this evening are overwhelming, and it demonstrates the strength and promise the industry holds for your New Jersey Food Council,” NJFC President and CEO Linda Doherty said as she thanked members for volunteering their time to advance the industry’s mutual success.
The reception takes place during a critical legislative and economic landscape for regional food markets. NJFC Chair Jason Read emphasized the board’s unified stance on core policy matters affecting food logistics, operations, and community service.
“Our Board stands together with purpose, vision, and remains united in our mission to advance, foster, and protect the New Jersey food industry,” Read said. “Whether it is supporting food security efforts or opposing burdensome legislation, the NJFC Board serves as one essential and effective voice for the industry.”
Master of Ceremonies Mariano Preciado of Mission Foods, who serves as the NJFC Trade Relations Vice Chair, echoed that sentiment, calling the packed room the true “who’s who” of the New Jersey grocery marketplace.
The highlight of the night was the formal presentation of honors to four distinct executives who have guided generational family brands and shaped regional food access.
- Anthony Calandra (Owner, Calandra’s Enterprises): Honored for expanding a business legacy that began in 1962 when his father, Luciano Calandra, opened a single bakery in Newark just five years after arriving in the United States. The award was presented by his daughter, Kristin Calandra, vice president of the enterprise.
- Jim Dorey (President & COO, Inserra Supermarkets): Recognized for his stewardship of a massive family-owned cooperative footprint that runs ShopRite locations across Bergen, Passaic, and Hudson counties in New Jersey, alongside Rockland County, New York. Dorey previously served as president of Price Rite Supermarkets under the Wakefern Food Corp. umbrella.
- Ron Murphy Sr. (President, Murphy’s Fresh Markets): Acknowledged for his 50-year career in grocery retail, which began as a clerk for Penn Fruit in Philadelphia. Murphy bought his first storefront, Stewart’s Market in Medford, in 1978, later expanding to Beach Haven and Tabernacle under the Murphy’s Fresh Markets brand.
- Colleen Wegman (President & CEO, Wegmans Food Markets): Celebrated as the fourth-generation leader of the widely popular market chain founded in 1916. Named president in 2005 and CEO in 2017, Wegman was lauded for keeping the multi-state brand focused on workplace culture and fresh food accessibility.
Reflecting the grocery industry’s focus on regional food security and educational pathways, the event generated direct support for New Jersey nonprofits.
All surplus gourmet food from the gala event was safely packed and donated directly to Table to Table, a Saddle Brook–based food rescue organization that redistributes fresh food to families in need throughout northern New Jersey.
Simultaneously, the event’s popular silent auction raised nearly $34,000. One hundred percent of those proceeds are earmarked for the NJFC Educational Scholarship Program, aiding students pursuing degrees and professional paths within the food, logistics, and retail management industries.
