National Restaurant Association's Rob Gifford To Lead Philanthropic Initiatives For Educational Foundation

National Restaurant Association (NRA) President and CEO Dawn Sweeney today announced that Rob Gifford has been named Executive Vice President of Philanthropic Initiatives and will lead the National Restaurant Association Educational Foundation (NRAEF) in addition to his current duties as Executive Vice President of Political and State Affairs.

"In this expanded role, Rob will lead our overall Foundation and philanthropic strategy and work with me and the Foundation's officers and trustees to advance our mission, drive the execution of a successful comprehensive fundraising program and build awareness of our educational mission and philanthropic programs," Sweeney said. "The restaurant industry provides opportunities for millions of Americans nationwide, and utilizing Rob's skills in this role will help us enhance our efforts to inspire the next generation of restaurant leaders."

"Since 1987, the National Restaurant Association Educational Foundation has focused on building the industry's future by creating a stronger workforce," Gifford said. "Today, we are as committed as ever to ensuring employers have the high-quality employees needed to succeed in the foodservice industry."

As the NRA's philanthropic foundation, the NRAEF promotes career opportunities and pathways in the restaurant and foodservice industry by offering programs, partnerships, outreach and scholarships. The NRAEF's cornerstone program, ProStart, reaches more than 90,000 students in 1,700 schools across North America and has granted $14 million in scholarships to students since 1997, giving students a jumpstart on successful careers. ProStart's industry-driven curriculum provides real-life experience opportunities and builds practical skills and a foundation that will last a lifetime.

Prior to joining the NRA in 2011, Gifford served as President and CEO of the Michigan Restaurant Association (MRA) for more than 18 years. During his time there, the MIRS (Michigan Information Research Service) Insider Survey named the MRA one of the top five association lobbying organizations in Michigan. Earlier in his career, Gifford worked in government relations at the NRA.

In addition, Brendan Flanagan has been named Vice President of State & Local Affairs reporting to Gifford as part of the Political and State Affairs team. In this new position, Flanagan will lead the NRA's engagement in political matters at the state and local level, working directly with state restaurant association executives and their public policy staff members, as well as the state-focused governmental affairs staff of restaurant members.

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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. Together with the National Restaurant Association Educational Foundation, the Association works to lead America's restaurant industry into a new era of prosperity, prominence, and participation, enhancing the quality of life for all we serve.