Ben has more than 25 years of experience in publishing, including starting USA Today’s magazine program, which he grew into a multimillion-dollar-per-year business with more than 50 publications each year. Ben has been with NACS since 2023 and has been connected to the industry even longer. He worked at a Kum & Go in Iowa during college.

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.