Stacey Campbell Rutherford
Class of 2022
Stacey Rutherford jokes that the confectionery industry is a lot like the Hotel California — “You can check out any time you like, but you can never leave.” But, she asks: Why would you want to? She can’t imagine spending her career anywhere else.
Stacey was born on May 6, 1971, to Shirley and Gil Campbell, in Washington DC, and attended high school at The Madeira School, in McLean, VA. After graduating, she received a Bachelor of Science in marketing from Villanova University in 1993 and later went on to earn her MBA from George Washington University in 1998.
Stacey thanks her parents for teaching her the value of hard work and for reminding her that “to whom much is given, much is expected;” a lesson she has passed along to her own son, Nolan.
Stacey’s first job in the confectionery industry was with Rogers American in 1995, where she called on small grocery chains and the grocery wholesalers who supplied them. She recalls that these buyers taught her about tenacity and persistence all while having fun.
In 2001, Stacey joined Burdette Beckmann Inc. (BBI) as special markets account manager. She was later promoted to national accounts manager in 2006 and most recently took on the role of senior director, national accounts.
Having been in the business for 27 years, Stacey remarks that helping and mentoring others has been richly rewarding, both personally and professionally. She adds that life is like a lottery where you get tickets every time you meet new people and try new things and explains that most of those tickets won’t pay out but every now and then you will hit the jackpot.
She’s active in the industry contributing to many causes and committees including the NCA State of the Industry Conference committee and the NCA Women’s Leadership Group. She says that this involvement has resulted in many networking opportunities that have been valuable to her and her team. She was a founding member of NCA’s Young Professionals Network’s Minute Mentoring Committee and currently sits on the NCA Broker Advisory Committee.
Recognized for her work in the industry, Stacey was named Impact Confections Broker MVP in 2014, Paradies Vendor of the Year in 2005 and received the Impact Confections Outstanding Sales Achievement Award in 2013.
Along with being active within the industry, Stacey spends time volunteering with outside organizations. She was a Make–A-Wish Foundation volunteer for four years along with being a St. Peter’s Catholic Church Faith Formation Community Liaison, a food bank volunteer coordinator, and a member of the parish’s Giving Tree Committee. Currently, she sits on the Carolinas Chapter of Villanova Scholarship Fund Executive Committee.
Stacey says she is “immeasurably grateful” for the relationships with not only her BBI leadership team, but also her suppliers, who have shown confidence in her counsel and the buyers who help it all come to life.
She, her husband Jason and son Nolan live in Charlotte, NC. In her free time she enjoys spending time on the water fly fishing and paddleboarding, along with watching her son play baseball.