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The Retail Industry Leaders Association (RILA) announced a distinguished line-up of presenters recently for the 2010 RILA Logistics Conference being held at the Gaylord Texan Resort & Convention Center in Orlando, Florida, February 21-24, 2010.

"Logistics 2010 marks our 25th anniversary of producing supply chain conference, and I believe the program is the best yet. With exceptional speakers and a dynamic program that is both relevant and timely, the conference offers attendees' valuable insight, and the knowledge and resources they need to increase productivity, maximize efficiency and lower costs, as well as tremendous networking opportunities," said RILA President Sandy Kennedy.

Opening the conference as the keynote speaker for Logistics 2010 is Dollar General Chief Executive Officer and Chairman Richard Dreiling. Dreiling will share his perspective on the crucial role of the supply chain in retail operations at a time when customers, employees, investors and suppliers are coping with the uncertainty of a strained economy and legislative and regulatory overhauls.

Dreiling joined Dollar General in January 2008 as CEO, and was named chairman of the board in December 2008, spearheading the company's re-emergence as a public company through a successful initial public offering on the New York Stock Exchange on November 13, 2009.

Dreiling serves on the board of directors and executive committee of the Retail Industry Leaders Association and the Monroe Carell Jr. Children's Hospital at Vanderbilt. He was a finalist in Ernst & Young's 2007 Entrepreneur of the Year Awards for the Metro New York area. In October 2007, Dreiling received the Jacob K. Javits Lifetime Achievement Award in recognition of his efforts to raise awareness for The ALS Association and support its work to find a cure for the disease.

RILA is also delighted to announce that U.S. Trade Representative Ambassador Ron Kirk will make his first appearance before a retail community on the state of trade. As U. S. Trade Representative, Ambassador Kirk is a member of President Obama's cabinet and serves as the president's principal trade advisor, negotiator and spokesperson on trade issues.

Ambassador Kirk draws upon more than 25 years of diverse legislative and economic experience on local, state and federal levels. As the first African American mayor of Dallas from 1995 - 2001, he earned a reputation for bringing together diverse coalitions to get things done. During his tenure as mayor, Ambassador Kirk expanded Dallas' reach to the world through a range of trade programs, including numerous trade missions. His economic development efforts helped secure more than 45,000 jobs and investment of more than $3.5B in Dallas.

Scott Davis, chairman and chief executive officer of UPS, will also share his unique perspective on the current state of the economy and the supply chain for retail products around the world. During this interactive session, he will offer his inside view of the demands and issues that will shape the future of retail including the vital role of global logistics.

Davis leads the world's largest package delivery company, responsible for moving six percent of the U.S. gross domestic product (GDP) and two percent of global GDP. Its global transportation network serves as a critical link between suppliers and retailers. Founded in 1907, UPS has served its customers through a depression and 20 recessions and has transformed its business along the way to meet the needs of global customers. Davis has served as a chairman of the board of the Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta, CFO of UPS and CEO of a technology company, and is a respected counsel to business and policy leaders on economic and trade issues.

Additional speakers for Logistics 2010 include:
Matthew Waller, Ph.D, University of Arkansas, who will present insight of the future trends in retail supply chain; Erik Peterson, SVP of the Center for Strategic and International Studies; Fareed Zakaria, editor of Newsweek International and CNN policy analyst; Howie Long, NFL star & analyst; and Chris Gardener, entrepreneur and real-life inspiration for the movie, The Pursuit of Happyness. Additionally, speakers will include top supply chain executives from major retail companies such as Walmart, Target, Lowe's, The Home Depot, CVS, Best Buy, Meijer, H-E-B, Urban Outfitters, Shoebuy.com, Big Lots and more.

Planned "by for retailers by retailers," Logistics 2010 will focus on the following strategic areas and speaking tracks:

• Distribution
• Transportation
• International Logistics & Sourcing
• Legislative & Regulatory Issues
• Sustainability
• Workforce Diversity & Inclusion

With supply chains becoming increasingly complex and at the same time more and more critical to retail success, keeping pace with changes in consumer demand, capacity, and trade and transportation realities is a growing challenge for retail executives. The RILA Logistics conference offers attendees a quality of discourse and competitive advantage they need to be successful as well as the opportunity to meet and interact with top leaders in the industry.

For more information or to register, contact Ashely DeBoer, at ashley.deboer@rila.org or (703) 600-2039.

SOURCE: RILA