The Credentials of the Nominees for the NACS Board of Trustees
The following candidates have been proposed to fill open seats on the NACS Board of Trustees by the NACS Nominating Committee. All candidates completed an extensive nomination form and were interviewed by the committee. The current NACS Board has approved this slate.
The president-elect will serve a total of three years, one year each as president-elect, president, and immediate past president. Terms for store trustees are three years. Those elected will be sworn into office in June.
Voting on the trustee slate will be conducted by electronic ballot. The primary contact at each member store will receive an email on Feb. 16 with a unique link to the online ballot. The link can be used only once to place a vote. Members have until March 9, 2026, to vote. Balloting data will be monitored and verified by the accounting firm Maloney + Novotny. To request a missing ballot or to report ballot issues,
email Julie Nemec.
For President-Elect/Secretary: GAVIN JENSEN
Gavin Jensen is currently director of Wildcat Stores at Weber State University, Ogden, UT, and previously was manager of Wildcat Tech at Weber State. He possesses more than 25 years of collegiate retail experience, including management roles at campus stores at the University of Utah, Davis Applied Technology College, and Salt Lake Community College. He has also worked in general retail.
His volunteerism in the industry is extensive. At present, he serves as president of the NACS Foundation Board of Directors. He was a trustee on the NACS Board from 2017-2023 and served on numerous NACS committees. He was president of the Utah College stores association in 2008 and president of the Mountain States College Stores Association in 2012-13.
“Campus stores are being forced to explore new areas of retail. This includes creating partnerships on campus, expanding technology options for course materials and computing options, and simply looking for ways to keep the customer on campus to shop,” Jensen says. “NACS initiatives have been very helpful in giving stores direction to improve on campus, and I believe stores will need to continue to have help from NACS to prepare for the future.”
For Trustee-at-Large: PETER NEFF
Peter Neff has been executive director of the The University of Arizona Campus Store, Tucson, for almost four years. Before entering the campus store industry, he worked in corporate retail in a variety of roles, including store manager for Meijer for eight years, director of retail support for more than 135 stores, and district manager in different regions of the country.
“My experience within the campus store environment has not been for a lengthy period, but my experience of interacting with businesses, vendors, partners, and with consumers gives me a lot of knowledge I can share in a rapidly changing retail environment,” he says. “I have been a change agent for many years, and I am enthusiastic about helping others build success and growth.”
For Trustee-at-Large: WILLIAM LEE JOSEPH PARRY
William Lee Joseph Parry has been director of retail and auxiliary enterprises at Fayetteville Technical Community College, Fayetteville, NC, since 2019, overseeing the bookstore, vending, café operations, fan shops, custom apparel, and print shop. Previously he held a series of positions at the Fayetteville Tech Bookstore, including merchandise coordinator, assistant director, and director. Overall he has 30 years of retail experience, mostly in bookstores and specialty retail.
He has been active with the College Store Association of North Carolina, including serving a term as president of the board.
“I have a great passion for our industry. I am a firm believer that we are more than just bookstores, but a hub of experiential retail with the potential to help our institutions generate revenue to help support the learning environment, the growth of our institutions, and help to drive a connection to our campuses,” he says.
For Trustee-at-Large: BRIAN WRIGHT
Brian Wright serves as the director of the VolShop, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, overseeing multiple on-campus, online, and event locations. He previously spent 24 years of experience at The Duck Store, University of Oregon, Eugene, rising to chief merchandising officer.
He also served five years on the Independent College Bookstore Association Board of Directors, including terms as president, vice president, and treasurer.
“My career in collegiate retail has been shaped by a deep respect for the mission of higher education and the people who make this industry work every day. Early on, I was fortunate to be mentored by Jim Williams, former general manager of The Duck Store, a respected leader whose guidance continues to shape how I approach leadership,” he says. “Before he passed, Jim reminded me to ‘keep it simple,’ advice that has stayed with me as my roles grow more complex. That principle guides how I lead teams, make decisions, and focus on serving students, institutions, and our industry. I’m honored to be considered for the NACS Board and excited about the opportunity to contribute at a national level.”
