Edward “Ed” Attman (1920–2016) was a visionary Baltimore entrepreneur, community leader, and philanthropist best known as the founder of Acme Paper & Supply Co., one of the mid-Atlantic’s most respected and innovative distribution companies. A proud son of immigrants and a veteran of World War II, Mr. Attman built a legacy rooted in family, innovation, integrity, and service.

In 1946, with the encouragement of his wife Mildred and his mother Ida, Mr. Attman founded Acme Paper & Supply Co. in a small garage. Under his hands-on leadership, Acme expanded from basic paper goods into restaurant supplies, janitorial products, sustainable packaging, and more, becoming a major supplier to industries throughout the region.

Mr. Attman believed strongly in giving back. One of his most meaningful philanthropic initiatives was the establishment of the Mildred Cohen Attman Scholarship at the University of Baltimore. This four-year, full-tuition scholarship is awarded to a deserving young woman, supporting her pursuit of higher education and opportunity. His philanthropic contributions extended to Jewish community organizations, educational institutions, and health initiatives throughout Maryland and beyond. He and his family were also known for their continued support of causes benefiting Israel.

Mr. Attman passed away in 2016 at the age of 95, but his impact lives on through the company he built, the family he raised, and the many lives he touched through business and philanthropy. Today, multiple generations of the Attman family carry on his legacy, helping Acme Paper grow and evolve while staying true to the values he set in motion.

Bob Gleeson is Weis Markets’ Chief Operating Officer (COO). In this role, Mr. Gleeson oversees the company’s marketing, merchandising, procurement, advertising, information technology, pharmacy, store operations and supply chain functions, including its distribution, manufacturing and transportation teams.  

He began his food retail career at Shoppers Food Warehouse in 1984 as a part-time grocery associate. During his 29-year career with Shoppers, and subsequently Supervalu, he worked in increasingly senior leadership positions, including Vice President of Center Store, Senior Vice President of Merchandising, and Division President. He joined Weis Markets in 2018 and was promoted to Vice President of Fresh Merchandising in 2019, and Senior Vice President of Merchandising and Marketing in 2021. 

Mr. Gleeson earned his bachelor’s degree at the University of Maryland and holds a master’s degree from the University of Baltimore. 

Weis Markets is a Mid-Atlantic food retailer operating more than 200 stores in seven states: Pennsylvania, Maryland, New Jersey, New York, West Virginia, Delaware and Virginia.

Michael F. Pastore was literally born into the food industry; from the time he was a young kid, he could be found hanging in the family store where he started learning the ropes in the grocery business. He was fortunate enough to have his father, Maryland Food Industry Hall of Famer Michael J. Pastore, as his mentor as he learned the business from the ground up. 

Michael J. Pastore had the vision to transform his Italian grocery store in Little Italy into an Italian wholesale distribution company to serve the needs of the restaurants, markets, & delis in his community. He purchased the Sun of Italy label when he & his son, Michael F. Pastore, saw the need for an Italian brand in the grocery store chains in the region. The father & son team then expanded the line into over 100 items across numerous departments in the stores. In the mid 1990’s, Michael F. took over as President of Pastore’s Inc and continued to cultivate the Sun of Italy brand while also providing an outlet for other strong Italian companies that needed a way to get their brands to local stores & restaurants in the Mid-Atlantic. As the Sun of Italy brand gained more popularity, the wholesale food distributor found themselves delivering their line of Italian products to stores in 5 different states and Washington DC. It was a time of tremendous growth, and Michael F. successfully managed it while always maintaining the integrity that the Pastore’s name held in the industry.

As the fourth generation to run the family business, Michael F. was tremendously proud of the Sun of Italy brand, but he will always tell you that he valued the relationships he built with his customers, vendors, and employees more. This is evident by the fact that he maintained both business partnerships and key employees of 40 to 50 years at the time that the company was sold in June of 2025. 

Michael F. knew the company’s strength was always their customer service and he took a great sense of pride in upholding that. Even as his brand crossed into five states and was sold by some of the largest chains in the country, he never forgot the company’s start came with the local independents and their unwavering support of his family’s business. He has always been forever grateful for the community that allowed him to do what he loved.

Rick Rodgers is the Chief Executive Officer of B. Green & Company, a Baltimore-based, family-owned food business that operates four Green Valley Marketplace locations, Food Depot, and a robust wholesale distribution and Cash & Carry operation.

Rick began his career in the food industry at the age of 17 as a part-time bagger at Super-Super Foods. Over the next 45 years, he rose through the ranks by combining a roll-up-your-sleeves work ethic with a sharp merchandising eye and deep understanding of customer needs. He held key leadership positions with both independent retailers such as Food-A-Rama and Farm Fresh, as well as corporate giants including Super Rite Foods, Richfood, and Supervalu.

At Super Rite Foods, Rick advanced from produce merchandiser and store manager to Vice President of Grocery for Basics & Metro Food Markets. Following Richfood’s acquisition of Super Rite in 1995, he was promoted to Vice President of Merchandising, and by 1998 became Senior Vice President of Merchandising and Procurement. His career accelerated further when Richfood acquired the Dart Group, including Shoppers Food, that was later consolidated with Metro Foods, and ultimately acquired by Supervalu in 1999.

As VP of Center Store Merchandising at Shoppers, Rick was instrumental in developing strategies tailored to the diverse communities the stores served. Recognizing the unique preferences of the growing Hispanic and Latino populations, he and his team collaborated with local vendors to better reflect cultural food traditions by country of origin. Their success led to the launch of El Primero Mercado in 2001, a forward-thinking concept at the time. In 2002, Rick was promoted to Senior VP of Merchandising & Marketing.

By 2008, after two decades in corporate retail, Rick sought to return to the entrepreneurial, family-owned environment where he began. Introduced to Benjy Green by industry veteran Jeff Metzger, Rick joined B. Green & Company as Chief Operating Officer in November 2008. The move was a dramatic shift—leaving oversight of 62 corporate stores and $1.5 billion in annual sales for a smaller, family-run company—but it proved to be one of the most fulfilling decisions of his career, allowing him to truly leverage his creative vision.

In 2011, Rick spearheaded the opening of the first Green Valley Marketplace in a former Super Fresh location in Elkridge, Maryland. He describes this milestone as the most satisfying accomplishment of his career, marking the beginning of a new era of growth for B. Green & Company under his leadership.

Today, Rick continues to lead B. Green with the same entrepreneurial drive, hands-on leadership style, and passion for serving diverse communities that have defined his 45+ years in the Grocery industry.

As most in the industry would attest, Rick’s success would not have been possible without the love and support of his wife and partner of more than 45 years, Darla, and their incredible son, Ryan.