Margaret Hardin has joined Alexandria, Virginia-based National Association of Convenience Stores (NACS) as its grassroots manager. In this role she will manage and oversee NACS’ grassroots initiatives including Day on the Hill and NACS In Store. She also will coordinate grassroots outreach to members and focus on growing their political engagement.
Prior to joining NACS, Hardin served as director of operations for Gula Graham. She also had served as foreign policy and national security fellow for Sen. David Perdue (R-GA) and as an intern for Rep. Barry Loudermilk (R-GA, 11th District).
NACS serves the $654 billion convenience and fuels retailing industry by sharing ideas and insights in its award-winning publications (including NACS Magazine and the “Convenience Matters” podcast), creating unique networking and education opportunities (including the annual NACS Show, which is one of the 40 largest tradeshows in the country at 420,000 net s.f.) and through industry-leading research and analysis.
Hardin earned a bachelor’s degree in international affairs from the University of Georgia and was a presidential scholar at Keble College at the University of Oxford in Oxford, England.
NACS advances the role of convenience stores as positive economic, social and philanthropic contributors to the communities they serve. The U.S. convenience store industry, with more than 153,000 stores nationwide selling fuel, food and merchandise, serves 165 million customers daily—half of the U.S. population—and has sales that are 10.8 percent of total U.S. retail and foodservice sales. NACS has 2,100 retailer and 1,750 supplier members from more than 50 countries.
