Washington, DC (RestaurantNews.com) The National Restaurant Association (NRA) has announced the expansion of the scope of its Policy and Government Affairs team to include all communications and research capabilities, a move designed to strengthen the top advocate for America’s restaurant and foodservice industry, the second-largest private sector source of jobs at nearly 13 million people or 10 percent of the U.S. workforce.
“This integration will ensure we are even stronger in our mission to promote pro-restaurant policy and regulations, elect a pro-restaurant Congress, have the financial support to win restaurant-related policy battles across the nation, and engage all segments of the industry in our efforts,” said Dawn Sweeney, President and CEO of the NRA.
Scott DeFife, Executive Vice President of Policy and Government Affairs for the NRA, will now oversee a staff of 40, or more than double the team’s previous size. Hudson Riehle, Senior Vice President of Research and Knowledge, will continue to lead the NRA’s research and knowledge center teams to further enhance the organization’s role as the leading source of restaurant industry information, including its longstanding focus on a broad scope of strategic economic, operator and consumer research projects. Sue Hensley, Senior Vice President of Public Affairs and Communications, will continue her role as chief communications strategist with an expanded team overseeing all media, editorial and online communications, as well as creative services.
“A fully integrated policy-research-communications team will allow the association to better tell the impact of the restaurant industry, which continues to serve as a leading jobs creator,” DeFife said.
New analysis by the NRA shows that the restaurant industry continues to post solid job growth at more than double the rate of the overall economy. Since the employment recovery began in March 2010, the restaurant industry has added 645,000 jobs, including nearly 16,000 jobs in September.
Restaurants have been the third-largest private sector job creator since the employment recovery began, with current industry staffing levels standing 263,000 jobs above the pre-recession peak.
Founded in 1919, the National Restaurant Association is the leading business association for the restaurant industry, which comprises 970,000 restaurant and foodservice outlets and a workforce of nearly 13 million employees. We represent the industry in Washington, D.C., and advocate on its behalf. We operate the industry’s largest trade show (NRA Show May 18-21, 2013, in Chicago); leading food safety training and certification program (ServSafe); unique career-building high school program (the NRAEF’s ProStart, including the National ProStart Invitational April 19-21, 2013, in Baltimore, Md.); as well as the Kids LiveWell program promoting healthful kids’ menu options. For more information, visit www.restaurant.org and find us on Twitter @WeRRestaurants, Facebook and YouTube.