Jeff Lobdell, president of Michigan multi-concept operator Restaurant Partners Management, has been named this year’s chairman of the board for the National Restaurant Association.
Simultaneously, the training arm of the association, the National Restaurant Association Educational Foundation, has appointed Cleveland, Ohio, operator Shaun Beard as its chairman. Beard is SVP of Savor Hospitality, a company that manages a mixed portfolio of restaurants and a downtown Marriott hotel in the Ohio city.
Serving with Lobdell this year as NRA officers will be Richard Schneider, chief development officer of concessionaire Areas USA, who’ll hold the title of vice chairman; and Mike Axiotis, CEO of Red Robin franchisee Lehigh Valley Restaurant Group, who’ll serve as treasurer.
Under the NRA’s succession process, Schneider will move up to chairman of the association in 2025, and Axiotis will inherit the post in 2026.
Serving under Beard at the NRA Educational Foundation is Bill Kohl, head of strategy and operations for the innkeeping company Greenwood Hospitality Group, who’ll hold the title of vice chairman; and Carrie Leishman, CEO of the Delaware Restaurant Association, who’ll serve as treasurer.
The officers will serve in their current capacities for one year.
A number of other industry veterans were named as directors of the NRA. Those new members of the board include:
- Greg Flynn, operator of the nation’s largest group of franchised restaurants;
- GJ Hart, CEO of Red Robin;
- Michael Gonda of McDonald’s;
- Amber Moshakos, LM Restaurants;
- Sam Sanchez, Third Coast Hospitality;
- John Hone, Oysters Rock Hospitality;
- Madelyn Alfano, Maria’s Italian Kitchen;
- Bill Kitsilis, Axios Hospitality;
- Dagmar Boggs, Coca-Cola Co.;
- Victoria Gutierrez, chief merchandising officer, Sysco
Correction: An earlier version of this story misspelled Gutierrez's name.
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