General Peter Pace, USMC (Ret.) will be the keynote speaker for the Thursday General Session at the National Grocers Association’s (N.G.A.) 2010 Annual Convention and Supermarket Synergy Showcase (S3), to be held Feb. 9 through Feb. 12, 2010, at the Paris Las Vegas Hotel in Las Vegas.

Pace, who has more than 40 years of military leadership experience, will headline the session “We All Answer to Someone: Leadership Up and Down,” during which he’ll discuss the importance of answering both up and down, the need to check one’s own moral compass to make ethical decisions, and how to navigate between an organization’s vision and your own personal goals.

In this session, N.G.A. will also recognize members who have served in the military as well as those who participated in this year’s “Grocers Care Program.” Through this initiative, N.G.A. once again joined with the White House Commission on Remembrance to support the National Moment of Remembrance as a way to honor those who have made the ultimate sacrifice,

Pace’s military career includes his leadership roles as the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff and commander-in-chief of the United States Southern Command and combat in Vietnam, where being under fire helped him learn valuable lessons about relying on a moral compass to decide on a true course of action.

The convention, whose theme is “Growing Consumer Value: A Marketplace Opportunity in a Recovering Economy,” will focus on looking toward the future, and address the needs and concerns of independent grocers, as well as provide a variety of networking opportunities.

For more information or to register online, visit www.nationalgrocers.org.

Arlington, Va.-based N.G.A. is the national trade association representing the retail and wholesale grocers that comprise the independent sector of the food distribution industry.