RILA elects Sears president to its board

Washington, D.C. – The Retail Industry Leaders Association elected Ron Boire, president of Sears and Kmart, to its board of directors, during its semi-annual meeting in Washington, D.C.

The board also re-elected Home Depot chair and CEO Francis Blake, 7-Eleven president and CEO Joseph DePinto, Petco CEO James Myers and J.C. Penney CEO Myron Ullman.

“We are pleased to welcome Ron Boire to the board,” said RILA President Sandy Kennedy. “His insight into the issues retailers face every day will bring added wisdom and foresight to this already stellar group. The contributions of this highly engaged group of retail executives sets RILA apart and allows us continue to deliver big wins for our members.”

The RILA board of directors is made up of chief executives from many of the United States’ largest retail companies which the association deems most innovative. The board meets in person twice a year to discuss issues facing the retail industry.

The trade association keeps itself at the forefront of issues pertinent to the retail industry, including tax reform, health care, labor and privacy, and has led numerous efforts to advance the industry’s public policy agenda. RILA’s current top public policy priority is passage of the Marketplace Fairness Act, a bill that would end what the association argues is the unfair advantage online-only retailers have over Main Street retailers as it relates to sales tax collection. The bill, which passed the U.S. Senate earlier this year with overwhelming bipartisan support, is currently under consideration in the U.S. House of Representatives.