Joseph Sheridan will receive the 2019 Irishman of the Year award.
Irishman of the Year at the Friendly Son’s of St. Patrick, Union County NJ Annual Irish Heritage Dinner on March 14, 2019.
Joseph will be accompanied by the following gentlemen as honored guests and award recipients:
Community Service Awards:
Kip Brindle,
Robert Cahill,
Michael McNany
Military Service Award:
Jay Flanagan
About Mr. Joseph Sheridan
Joe Sheridan serves as the President and Chief Operating Officer (COO) of Wakefern Food Corp., the largest retailer-owned cooperative in the United States. He joined Wakefern in 1976, starting out as a selector in the warehouse and working over the years in numerous positions in logistics, finance, procurement and management in the Grocery, Direct Store Delivery, Bakery, Health and Beauty Care, Non-Foods and Pharmacy divisions.
In 1991, he was promoted to Vice President of Direct Store Delivery and the following year to Vice President of HBC, Non-Foods and Pharmacy. Sheridan was named Senior Vice President of Marketing in 1994 and Executive Vice President in 1996. He held that position for 15 years before becoming Wakefern’s President and COO in 2011.
An industry leader, Sheridan dedicates time to a variety of supermarket and retail trade organizations. In January of 2018, Sheridan became chairman of the Food Marketing Institute (FMI) Board of Directors, and the chairman of the Board of Governors for GS1 US, a nonprofit organization that designs and manages a global system of supply chain standards. He is a past chairman of the National Grocers Association (NGA), a trade association representing independent retail and wholesale grocers. Sheridan served as NGA chairman from 2012 to 2014 and has also held positions on the NGA board and executive committee.
In 2012, the Grocery Manufacturers Association presented Sheridan with its Industry Collaboration Leadership Award for his work in fostering significant cooperation among trading partners to better serve the industry and consumers. In 2014, he received the NJFC Industry Achievement Award and was recognized at the New Jersey Food Council Night of Distinction, an event highlighting industry professionals who have made a meaningful contribution to the food industry. In 2014, he also received the Beta Gamma Sigma Business Achievement Award from the Stillman School of Business, Seton Hall University, for his significant achievement in business.
Sheridan also leads Wakefern in community outreach efforts. In 2016, he received the Distinguished Citizen Award from the Boy Scouts of America Patriots’ Path Council, which covers nearly 20,000 Boy Scouts in northern and central New Jersey. He is also a past Embrace Kids board member and an Embrace Kids Foundation honoree for his work with the foundation, which supports families of children battling cancer and life-threatening blood disorders.
Sheridan was recognized in 2015 by Kean University for his outstanding achievements in business and philanthropy when he received the school’s prestigious William Livingston Award. He is a past chairman on the Board of Advisors for Kean University’s College of Business and Public Management (Union, NJ), and a past Seton Hall University Board of Regents member (South Orange, NJ).
A graduate of Kean University (formerly Kean College of New Jersey), Sheridan holds a bachelor’s degree in Management Science. He and his wife, Joan, reside in Hillsborough, NJ; they have three children.