Cardinal Joseph W. Tobin to Honor Joseph Sheridan and John Niccollai for Helping Serve Youth and Youth Programs in the Archdiocese

Cardinal’s 25th Annual Business & Labor Recognition Reception Takes Place Wednesday, March 7, 2018

Cardinal Joseph W. Tobin, C.Ss.R., Archbishop of Newark, will honor Joseph Sheridan, President and Chief Operating Officer of Wakefern Food Corp., and John T. Niccollai, President of United Food & Commercial Workers Local 464A, at the Cardinal’s 25th Annual Business & Labor Recognition Reception on Wednesday, March 7, 2018 at Mayfair Farms, West Orange, NJ.

This year’s event, which is celebrating a quarter century of helping thousands of young people of every race, religion and ethnic background through the Newark Archdiocese’s Catholic Youth Organization and Retreat Center in Kearny, has raised more than $3 million since its inception in 1994. Each year, hundreds of labor and business leaders from the region attend the event, which will begin at 6 p.m.

“These gentlemen – like the nearly 50 previous honorees before them – represent character and success among their peers,” said the Cardinal in making the announcement. “Their civic activities are an indication of the trust and esteem in which they are held by leaders in public life. These honorees are devout and faithful in their service to the Church, and I am most grateful for their willingness to support our labors for God’s children. May this honor bring God’s blessings upon them and their loved ones and be a joyful experience for them personally.”

About Joseph Sheridan

John Sheridan has been with Wakefern since 1976, when he joined as a selector in the warehouse. He rose through the ranks eventually to become Wakefern’s President and COO in 2011, overseeing the largest retailer-owned cooperative in the United States.  

Mr. Sheridan serves in various leadership capacities and has been honored by a number of supermarket and retail trade organizations, including The Food Marketing Institute, GS1 (a non-profit organization that designs and manages global supply chains), the National Grocers Association, the Grocery Manufacturers Association, and the New Jersey Food Council. He serves as Chairman of the Board of Advisors of the College of Business and Public Management of Kean University, and on the Board of Regents of Seton Hall University. 

Mr. Sheridan is active in many community outreach programs on behalf of Wakefern and with other community groups, including the Embrace Kids Foundation, which supports families of children battling cancer and life-threatening blood disorders. He recently received the Distinguished Citizen Award from the Boy Scouts of America Patriot’s Path Council, the President’s Award from the Hillsborough Educational Foundation, and the Breath of Life Award from the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation.

About Joseph Niccollai

Joseph Niccollai began work in the supermarket industry at the age of 11 when he began working in a butcher shop and later for Food Fair. After graduating from the University of Pennsylvania/Wharton School of Business, Mr. Niccollai served his country in the Navy and saw active duty with a ground/carrier-based anti-submarine squadron. While pursuing his law degree from Seton Hall University, Mr. Niccollai worked part-time as an apprentice butcher while continuing to serve his country in the Naval Reserve.

Upon graduation from Seton Hall, Mr. Niccollai served as Deputy Attorney General for New Jersey, as First Assistant Prosecutor for Passaic County, and as Special Deputy Attorney General/Prosecutor.  

In 1977, Mr. Niccollai returned to his “supermarket roots” by becoming active with Local 464A, where he subsequently was elected president in 1982.  

During his term as president, the local union has seen remarkable growth and outstanding contracts, placing it as one of the premier local unions in the United States. He serves the International UFCW in many capacities, including nearly 30 years as President of the District Council of New York and New Jersey. This District Council comprises 18 UFCW locals representing some 250,000 members. He also serves as an elected Vice President for the UFCW International Union, which represents 1.3 million members in the United States and Canada, and as Vice President of the New Jersey AFL-CIO.

The New Jersey Senate and General Assembly and the US House of Representatives have honored Mr. Niccollai has been honored for his leadership, and he has received the Great American Award from the United States Congress. He also is the recipient of the Samuel L. Gompers Distinguished Labor Leader Award, and the International Humanitarian Award from Boys’ Town of Italy.

For more information about the Cardinal’s 25th Annual Business & Labor Recognition Reception, contact Geraldine Menegolla at 201-998-0088, extension 4154.