Every career begins with a path. But, sometimes, people veer from their original plans. In the case of Annie Gauthier, the new chairman of the National Association of Convenience Stores (NACS), working in the c-store industry was not even on her radar.
“Even though my family was in this industry, I never wanted to work in convenience stores,” Gauthier said during her introductory remarks at the Oct. 15 general session of the 2025 NACS Show in Chicago.
But in 2005, Hurricane Katrina changed all that. At the time the hurricane struck, Gauthier was working for the Louisiana Oil Marketers & Convenience Store Association.
She revealed how impressed she was by the “courage and sacrifice” of those in the industry during those challenging times.
“Hurricane Katrina turned our state and our regions upside down,” she said.
It was scary because there were so many unanswered questions, including who has power, who has food and who has fuel, Gauthier said.
“But there was one thing that we did have—each other,” she said. “This crisis focused me on what I wanted to do.”
Gauthier revealed it was during this chaos that she “completely” chose a career in convenience and since then has never looked back.
Since 2005 she has been with her family-owned convenience store and wholesale fuels company, St. Romain Oil Co., Mansura, Louisiana.
Gauthier serves as its chief financial officer and co-CEO. The company owns and operates 15 Y-Not Stop convenience stores.
In her remarks, she shared with attendees the company’s employee-focused celebration called TeamFest.
“TeamFest is one way we show our love for our industry and connect our team to something bigger than themselves and their stores,” she said. “I found my love for our industry during a crisis. I want our team members to find their love for our business at TeamFest.”
Gauthier, an enthusiastic supporter of c-stores, closed her opening remarks with a quote from St. Francis of Assisi: “Start by doing what’s necessary; then do what’s possible; and suddenly you are doing the impossible.” The quote, she said, is another way of saying “level up,” which was this year's tagline for the NACS Show.
She also offered a handful of advice for the attendees.
“Focus on your team members, keep them happy and they will keep your customers happy,” she said. “Be honest, even when it’s hard—especially when it’s hard. Keep leveling up and you will keep people coming back.”
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