Richard D. Bello

Class of 2005

Dick was born on January 31, 1945, in Detroit. He attended the University of Dayton in Dayton, OH, where he earned a degree in business. From 1967 to 1970 he served as a First Lieutenant in the U.S. Army, stationed in the U.S. and Germany. He has two children, Anthony and Emily.

Fresh from his military service, Dick embarked on a 34-year career with The Hershey Co. as one of only seven national account managers.

“My first year with Hershey,” he recalls, “I knew every item’s code number and cost. Today, I sometimes pick up an item in a store and read the label to confirm that it’s made by Hershey.”

Jim Loucks, who served as a district manager during Dick’s early years with the company, had the biggest impact on his career and became a close friend.

At the time of his induction, Dick was a national customer sales executive for Hershey, responsible for managing the company’s domestic c-store and distributor accounts.

“In presenting items, programs and merchandising practices, Dick has focused on the confection category first and not specifically the offerings of Hershey,” says Terry McElroy, president of McLane Grocery Distribution. “Dick projects a category perspective in the belief that if retailers and distributors provide the attention and focus on this category that it deserves, everyone wins – the retailer, the distributor and Hershey.”

This work ethic helped Dick win 7-Eleven Inc.’s Supplier of the Year award in 2004.

In his spare time, he has a passion for golf, inline skating, kayaking and running.