Following Founder John MacDougall’s passing, his right hand man assumes leadership of the business.
Fran Duskiewicz has taken the helm as president and CEO of Nice N Easy Grocery Shoppes, following the passing of founder and CEO John MacDougall in June.
“A few years ago, when John started experiencing health issues, he forged an agreement with me that assured a smooth transition of operational leadership in case something happened to him. I was honored that he wanted me to have the President/CEO titles, but I hoped against hope that they would never need to be attached to my name. I was a great right hand man and possessed the right set of skills and interests to meld perfectly with John’s. He was a visionary. I was all about the details,” said Duskiewicz in a written statement.
“Well, now those job titles (CEO and president) are attached to my name, and I take no particular joy in that fact. I am humbled and sobered by the responsibility they represent, especially after 34 years of John MacDougall being the only President/CEO Nice N Easy Grocery Shoppes has ever known. And also him being a legend,” Duskiewicz added.
MacDougall had not been involved in the office or operations of Nice N Easy since New Year’s Eve. “In these past six months, our management team has become exactly that—a team in every sense of the word, and I know John was extremely proud of us,” Duskiewicz said. “He was glad we were focusing on each other and not just on him, which can often happen with a strong leader. Our job now is to keep that teamwork in place and to protect John’s legacy as we move forward.”
Nice N Easy operates 78 convenience stores in upstate New York.