State of the Association 2026

NAFEM welcomes Eva-Marie Fox, CFSP as president

Eva-Marie Fox, CFSP, President & CEO, T&S Brass & Bronze Works, becomes NAFEM’s 53rd President during the NAFEM Annual Business Meeting during the recent Executive Summit. Here’s her acceptance speech:

Good afternoon, everyone.

I’m honored to be here today—standing before you as NAFEM President. It’s both humbling and energizing.  I never expected to be here today as president, it was my friend Rob Connelly that called one day, and as unexpected as that call was the conversation about this role was even more unexpected but after many conversations… well here I stand with a warning to all … beware of phone calls from Rob.  He said to me as I was joining the officer rotation it’s time to have a female in this role again, it’s been a while.  And Rob when you said that it brought back a memory that made me chuckle.  See T&S is a family business started by my father and uncle.  And as Penny, Greg, Josh and so many of you know that growing up in a family business you learn about all of this at a very young age. I thought everybody sitting around the dinner table grew up talking about NAFEM, Reps, NRA, Dealers and everything foodservice.   You get accustomed to talking about it, it’s what you know.  Well I distinctly remember a conversation with my father later on in life as I  was just starting out on my own and I asked him hey anything new going on with the business.  He was an older father and old school I mean really old school.  World War 2 Marine Purple heart Iwo Jima … a guys guy …you get the picture … anyway he said Ya you’re not going to believe it.  What – and with bemusement in his eyes said they put a gal in charge of NAFEM. I’m pretty sure he said broad … but he looked at me and shook his head with a a laugh as if to say what is the world coming to… Well that broad was Louise O’sullivan – big shoes to fill … He passed a long time ago but I can’t help but wonder what he would of thought of today….

I have a few thank you’s so bear with me –

Thank you to our Board for the trust and confidence you have placed in me, and for the time and energy you so generously volunteer to strengthen this association and our industry. One of the greatest rewards of serving on the NAFEM Board is the opportunity to work alongside such exceptional individuals—people who become more than fellow board members; they become your friends. That is special.

Another benefit is working with the incredible NAFEM staff—Deirdre, Charlie, Celeste, Alice, Felicia, Rebecca, Amy, Marianne, and Kathleen—holding things down back in Chicago: thank you. You always make it look easy, and you certainly make us look good. And with the help of Buffy Levy with SmithBucklin, thank you for everything you all do to bring The NAFEM Show to life each time and always better than the last.

To my T&S team – I have the privilege of working with rock stars.  Each and every one of them, and as we all know, you can’t do something like this if your team can’t make it possible.  To Ken who is here and the team at home Thank you for all that you do. 

And finally to Tom my husband of nearly 35 years, Without his constant love and support, I would never be able to do what I do. Together, we’ve raised three incredible children—Pierce, Olivia, and Audrey—and built a wonderful life, all while managing two careers and a very full, often crazy schedule. Thank you for always being by my side and on my side.

Back to our program –

The next two years along with the board I’ll be working with our officers –  Steve as Past President, Gregg Baggott as President‑Elect, and Will Means as Secretary/Treasurer. It will be a great two years.  On a personal note after being bracketed by these two Ohio State Guys…Steve and Gregg …I am ever so thankful to have Will, another Carolinian, on the team. I think I finally have a level playing field. 

We are certainly going to miss having Rich Packer at the table—someone who always kept us on our toes, and as evidenced by the video we never know what he might say or wear, but it almost always led to some great laughs. 

NAFEM members—thank you for being here and for supporting this Summit. As you know, NAFEM is a trade association representing more than 500 commercial foodservice equipment and supplies manufacturers, and our collective voice and impact are significant. Our strength lies in the breadth and engagement of our membership.

The time we spend together at this Summit strengthens our connections, sharpens our focus, and advances our shared mission to ensure NAFEM remains the central voice of our industry.

I believe that when most people think about restaurants and general foodservice, they often picture the front of the house or  the chef, the server, the menu.  But we know foodservice depends on something less visible to the consumer—and absolutely essential: the equipment and supplies that power safe, consistent and efficient operations. 

We’re not just building products. We’re enabling outcomes: the ability to feed people well , safely —and at scale.

And that’s why our work matters—that’s why this association matters.

As I step into this role, I do so with deep appreciation for the presidents who came before me—many I’ve had the privilege to work alongside—each of whom has advanced our industry in meaningful and lasting ways.

• Kevin Fink strengthened the relationships among the “Five Families.” NAFEM, CFESA,FEDA,FCSI and MAFSI and brought about our social purpose.
• Rob Connelly led with complete resilience and somehow kept us together as the world pivoted through COVID.
• Rich Packer helped bring us back together—live and in person—anchored in service, show, security, and sacrifice.
• And Steve Spittle championed social purpose while elevating fiscal awareness, the trade show, and industry mentorship.

that’s just a few of our past leaders’ missions.

Their leadership matters. And it sets a high bar. Now I’m not about to reinvent what work they’ve done at NAFEM, but rather endorse many of the causes that previous presidents have championed.

As I begin my term, I want to keep several of these initiatives for NAFEM front and center and ask for your support.  They are very simple I believe in simple and after this mornings heady topics I need some simple – but they are important.

Let’s start with our Trade Show—our hallmark and a cornerstone of our association.

Think about the successful journey:
The first NAFEM Show was held in Dallas in 1973 and drew 8,000 visitors. And that first show floor footprint was roughly 55,000 square feet.
Fast forward to today, and we’re welcoming more than 20,000 foodservice professionals, with show floors spanning over 330,000 square feet of exhibit space. Incredible work!

That growth didn’t happen by accident.
It happened because NAFEM members show up—with innovation, creativity, and investment.  the continued success of the Trade Show is critical For our companies and our industry. 
Members please Encourage participation at every level—dealers, consultants, reps, service providers, and operators. Talk about the show in your meetings. Challenge your teams to raise the bar on creativity and innovation for your exhibits.

Post-show feedback shows attendees enjoy the show—but they always want more. More new. More hands-on. More experiences that help them solve real problems.

Let’s give them more. Challenge your team to do that. 

The TSAC committee—led by Greg Baggott and Buffy Leavy, with The Smith Bucklin group—is working to make this show great, and The NAFEM SHOW 2027 will be great. Members, please do your part to make sure it’s your best show yet. 

Advocacy.

Our industry must have a voice—and NAFEM is how we amplify it.

Before acts are passed and regulations are enforced, NAFEM is paying attention—monitoring how legislation and regulation could impact member companies, and giving us tools to make sure our point of view is heard with lawmakers, agencies, and stakeholders.

Advocacy isn’t political theater—it’s operational reality. The charge led by Charlie and Felicia is constant and ever changing.

So I ask you to please participate, listen to the webinars, look at the Advocacy tracker on the NAFEM website, and most importantly make sure the right people in your organization know about these efforts and get them involved.

Purpose.

One of the things I’m proudest of is that NAFEM has made social purpose measurable and local through #NAFEMFightingHunger. As Rich showed us our impact is substantial.

Please remember NAFEM matches member donations of food, funds, and volunteer time—the impact stays in our communities. Again We’ve made over 50 million meals possible to neighbors in need through this signature program with Feeding America. 

That’s the power of the collective.

It’s not one company doing one good thing.
It’s an industry choosing to lead with purpose—together.    Be part of this critical initiative.  You’ll never regret doing it. 

People

The future of our workforce—and our leadership pipeline—depends on what we do now.

If we want this industry to remain strong and innovative, we have to welcome and develop the next generation.
We need younger professionals to see what we see:
that foodservice equipment is a high-impact, high-innovation field touching technology, sustainability, safety, design, manufacturing, service, and customer experience – all of it.

We need to help them connect the dots:
this isn’t only a career path—it’s a mission.
We feed people. We support communities. We solve real problems every day.
Let’s recruit with intention, mentor with consistency, and create real on-ramps—internships, early-career networks, ride-alongs, show experiences, and meaningful project ownership.

Start with the NAFEM Show. Let them experience it early.
Talk about our social purpose with intent. show it’s not just work, but work that makes a difference.
Discuss our advocacy, and how NAFEM doesn’t just exist—it protects and advances the industry we operate in.

Let’s not just invite them into the trade—let’s help them build a future in it.

The road ahead is full of challenges – challenges that now appear weekly if not daily – But challenges can create opportunities.

The learnings from this Summit, our educational and training programs, our outreach, our collaborations with our channel partners, and of course, The NAFEM Show 2027 in Orlando, and so much more make for a bright future. And I look forward to working towards our future success together with all of you. If you don’t know me – please feel free to call or email me. I promise to listen, to represent you responsibly, and work with our association on what matters to you.

Thank you for your trust.