Nominate a Store Leader

2028 Store Leader Spotlight

2026 NRF Foundation Store Leader Spotlight Jordan Dusett - DICK's Sporting Goods Store Manager

Store Light Spotlight nominees are leaders who drive team growth and development, lead high-performing stores, and demonstrate excellence through both business results and people-first leadership.

To nominate your store leader for our 2028 NRF Foundation Store Leader Spotlight, you’ll share their leadership journey, scope of responsibility, and the tangible impact they’ve made within your organization.

Here's a link to our nomination form and more details on the process and qualifications to nominate your store leader for the NRF Foundation Store Leader Spotlight.

Nominate Your Store Leader

Qualifications

To be considered, the nominee must be responsible for overseeing day-to-day operations and all employees of a physical retail store. They are the highest-ranking individual manager with ownership of decision making and overall business strategy for their location, and prior experience and background in the retail industry.

Nominated store leaders should:

  • Exemplify brand values

  • Develop teams

  • Invest in their community

  • Lead by example

  • Deliver business results

A CVS Health store leader works alongside another store associate to re-stock shelves within a CVS store.

Requirements

The nominee must be able to attend the 2028 NRF Foundation Honors in early January in New York City, NY.

There is no cost associated with the NRF Foundation Store Leader Spotlight, but brands are encouraged to support their store leader by purchasing tickets or tables for the NRF Foundation Honors, where the store leaders will be recognized and celebrated for their contributions to the retail industry.

Timeline

July 2027 – Deadline to submit nominations

August 2027 – Nominees selected and notified by the NRF Foundation

September 2027 - January 2028 – Nominees participate in store photoshoots, announcements and additional engagement opportunities listed below

January 2028 – Nominees attend the NRF Foundation Honors in New York City

Benefits

Store Leaders selected by the NRF Foundation will be:

  • Recognized and celebrated in front of 700+ retail industry leaders at the 2028 NRF Foundation Honors in New York City

  • Featured on the NRF Foundation blog, social media channels, podcast, email announcements, webinars, and podcasts

  • Included in the NRF Foundation Honors post-event press release, highlighting achievements to industry press and peers

  • Captured in high-quality images celebrating their leadership of your store that can be shared across multiple channels

  • Participates in the Executive Mentor Experience at NRF NXT in January 2028 in New York City

  • Influencing the next generation of retail talent by providing input for skills-based classroom resources that help develop NRF Foundation Retail Training curriculum

  • Invitation to attend the NRF Foundation Chairman’s Reception in January 2028 in New York City

Nominate Your Store Leader

About the NRF Foundation Honors

A photograph of the NRF Foundation Honors ballroom. Hundreds of retail industry executives and managers are seated at round tables. A speaker is on stage with a purple and blue backdrop that reads NRF Foundation Honors.

From the most coveted award in retail, The Visionary, to our annual List of People Shaping Retail's Future to our scholarship recipients, our Training Partner of the Year, and our Store Leader Spotlight, the NRF Foundation Honors celebrates the retail professionals who are sparking innovation and inspiring incredible change. In 2026, more than 700 guests — including 38 CEOs and more than 220 C-Suite members — joined us.

Experience NRF Foundation Honors