Chef Joe Arvin is a two-time Culinary Federation gold medalist, three-time Chicago Fight Club champion, and finished 6th and 23rd place at The World Food Championships. He has also gained widespread recognition through appearances on the TV shows Big Brother, Cutthroat Kitchen, The Taste with Anthony Bourdain and South of MadLove, the cooking show that he created and hosts.

Jeff Lenard oversees industry-wide external communications campaigns to advance the role of convenience stores as positive economic, social and philanthropic contributors to the communities they serve. He also serves as lead spokesperson and has conducted more than 6,000 media interviews about trends and innovations at convenience stores. In addition, he is the creator and co-host of the association’s award-winning weekly podcast, Convenience Matters.

Prior to joining NACS in 1999, Lenard served in communications and marketing functions for several energy-focused associations. He earned a B.S. in mechanical engineering from Worcester Polytechnic Institute and an M.B.A. in marketing from Syracuse University.