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Kentucky Proud



Pat & Phyllis Hicks

Induction Ceremony
May 19, 2010
Muhammad Ali Center
Louisville, KY

Please enjoy the special video presentations below or
click HERE to view event still pictures

Click HERE to read about Pat & Phyllis



  Video tribute to Pat & Phyllis below

PAT & PHYLLIS HICKS

Pat began his career at the age of 10 working at the Smith neighborhood grocery in Mayfield Kentucky. He worked bottles, cleaned the back room, and delivered groceries.

Mr. Smith later built a supermarket and Pat continued to work in the stockroom, riding the delivery truck, and eventually delivering groceries to his future bride Phyllis’s home.

As a high school junior Pat was employed by Kroger – the year Pat & Phyllis shared the same homeroom and their relationship began. They graduated from Mayfield High School in 1958 and were married in 1959. They became the parents of three wonderful children: Tanna Sue Hicks, Jeffrey Lowell and Patrick Alan. They also take great pride in having 10 grandchildren to enjoy.

Kroger transferred Pat to Memphis in 1958 where he continued his training program and worked his way up through the ranks. He worked in seven different locations in six years. Pat was named a store manager for Kroger in 1963 and then transferred back to Mayfield to open a brand new Kroger store.

In 1964 Pat and Phyllis purchased two stores in Mayfield and then combined them in 1968. Two years later they purchased a supermarket in Camden, Tennessee. Their independent supermarkets were successful as they dreamed about building more new stores. The dream began to come true as they built the new Camden store introducing new service departments that included fresh bakery, homemade deli products, and a catering service.

Phyllis has always had great interest and love for children. While living in Mayfield she opened their home as a boarding home for children attending the Charles L. Shedd Research Academy. During eight years, fifty one children lived with Phyllis & Pat and their three children. Phyllis operated the home and Pat continued to manage the stores.

In 1975 the Mayfield store was destroyed by fire. They built a new store a year later including bakery, deli, and a drive thru window. Eventually they sold the stores and moved to Bowling Green, KY to accept a position with a friend, Lester Reeves, owner of Reeves Family Food Centers, as a perishable merchandiser. Pat’s duties included produce, deli and meat departments.

In 1983 the Kentucky Retail Food Dealers Association extended an invitation to Pat to be Executive Director of the Association. He joined the Association January 3, 1983.

Two years later Pat encouraged the Board of Directors to drop the word “Retail” from the KRFDA name. After board discussion and approval, the new name of the association became Kentucky Grocers Association – “KGA”. Key to this action enabled all members to be equal in membership, programs, and operation of the association.

Working with the KGA’s field representative, Jan Robinson, they set goals and plans to increase membership and participation. The recruitment campaign was a huge success and KGA directors also voted to extend membership to national chain stores. The association continued to grow and produced one of the largest industry trade shows in the state. Over 1,500 attendees visited vendor booths and participated in educational seminars.

Pat also brought the convenience store industry into the association with the incorporation of the Kentucky Association of Convenience Stores (KACS). Both the KGA and KACS continue working together for the benefit of both trade channels.

The Association held annual board meetings and Phyllis began planning and hosting spouse receptions. These gatherings brought about a bond of family for the women of the KGA. They became a driving force within the association, an accomplishment Phyllis is very proud of.

Pat was also instrumental, along with several board members, in establishing the KENTUCKY GROCERS EDUCATION FOUNDATION (KGEF). This enabled the KGA, via the KGEF, to collect donations and hold fundraising events on a tax free basis to award high school seniors and college students with scholarships. A professional selection service was employed and the program was expanded to allow individual KGA members the ability to sponsor their own company funded scholarships. The KGEF awards twenty-five to thirty scholarships annually to children and grandchildren of grocery and convenience stores employees. The KGEF is one of the proudest accomplishments Pat & Phyllis share.

Phyllis and the ladies group worked each KGA/KACS event raising funds for scholarships. One of the most memorable event projects was the making of the Cathedral Window Quilt. The quilt raised approximately $9,000 for scholarships. The project was a work of pride for the ladies of the association.

While living in Mayfield, Pat & Phyllis served on numerous church, charitable business boards, and committees. Pat served as president of the Mayfield/Graves County Chamber of Commerce, President of Mayfield Lions Club and District Representative to the Kentucky Lions Board in Louisville. At the KGA Phyllis served on the Board of Directors of the NGA’s Women Grocers of America.

Perhaps Pat’s greatest professional achievement was his transition from working within the grocery industry to leading the grocery & convenience store industry’s political and legislative activities. Pat became an effective and recognized face in the Kentucky Capitol building. He followed a few simple rules when working with legislators:

• Always tell legislators and government officials the truth – the truth regarding your position on an issue and when asked, the opposition point of view.
• Never interrupt a conversation someone else is having with a legislator.
• Talk with your enemies. They may be your friends in the future on another issue.
• Know your bill and be ready to defend it at any time.

Tom Underwood, State Director of National Federation of Independent Businesses and a leading Kentucky lobbyist, perhaps best describes what led to Pat’s lobbying success, “He says what he thinks and means what he says.”

In no other defining moment of Pat’s career did his leadership abilities shine than the grocery and convenience store industry’s opposition to proposed “Bottle Bill” legislation. Pat, along with retailers and beverage industry representatives, successfully prevented legislation that would have created operational nightmares at the store level and increased the cost of goods for consumers. Pat also worked on tobacco issues and played an important role in the development of Kentucky’s Electronic Benefits Transfer (EBT) program.

While Pat and Phyllis are being honored for their industry service, today Phyllis becomes the first Kentucky woman inducted into the KGA/KACS Hall of Fame.



Kentucky Grocers Association (KGA)/Kentucky Association of Convenience Stores (KACS)
622 Shelby Street, Frankfort, KY 40601, Phone (502) 696-9153 , Fax (502)875-4515,
Email: info@kgaonline.org

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