National Restaurant Association and National Restaurant Association Educational Foundation Name 2022 Boards
WASHINGTON, DC – January 27, 2022 – The National Restaurant Association and the National Restaurant Association Educational Foundation (NRAEF) today announced their 2022 board officers and directors.
Lance Trenary, president and CEO of Golden Corral Corporation, will serve as chair of the National Restaurant Association Board of Directors, and Kent Walrack, retired executive vice president, chief strategy officer of Lyons Magnus, will serve as chair of the National Restaurant Association Educational Foundation Board of Trustees.
“The industry has had a challenging yet remarkable two years facing the pandemic, and the tenacity and resilience of the industry has been reflected across all sectors. Lance’s unique experience and comprehensive knowledge, along with Kent’s experience leading a specialty foodservice supply company, bring together key perspectives from across the industry during this time of rebuilding,” said Marvin Irby, Interim President & CEO of the National Restaurant Association and CEO of the NRAEF.
Vice Chair Scott Redler, co-founder and chief operating officer of Freddy’s Frozen Custard and Steakburgers, and Treasurer Jeff Lobdell, president and founder of Restaurant Partners Management, complete the Association’s 2022 Board leadership.
“Our industry continues to rise up to meet extraordinary challenges. I look forward to the leadership Kent will bring to his role in 2022. I am confident that his vision and experience will help chart a positive course for our industry and its workforce in the coming years,” said Rob Gifford, president of the NRAEF.
Other Foundation officers include Vice Chair James Fripp, chief equity and inclusion officer at Yum! Brands, and Treasurer Shaun Beard, senior vice president of SAVOR Hospitality.
Each of the officers will serve a one-year term. The following is the list of 2022 board officers for the National Restaurant Association and the Educational Foundation:
National Restaurant Association
Chair: Lance Trenary is president and CEO of Golden Corral Corporation, where he has held virtually every leadership role during his 35-year career progression. Trenary also serves as a trustee for the NRAEF and as a member of the Women’s Foodservice Forum CEO Advisory Council. Additionally, he is on the board of Camp Corral, a nonprofit summer camp for children of fallen or disabled military service members, and a Founders Circle Member of Project Healing Waters. Trenary attended Mississippi State University; Harvard Business School, where he completed the Advanced Management Program; and the University of North Carolina, where he completed the Executive Management Education Program.
Vice Chair: Scott Redler is co-founder and COO of Freddy’s Frozen Custard & Steakburgers. Redler’s knowledge of restaurant ownership and operations has made him a sought-out professional in the industry. He’s a member of the board of the Kansas State University Hospitality Management program and the Butler County Community College (BCCC) Hospitality Board, where he and his wife Betsy also started a scholarship fund for hospitality students. Redler’s commitment to the industry has been recognized with the IFMA Silver Plate Award, the Fran Jabara Entrepreneurship Hall of Fame and Kansas Restauranteur of the Year, among others.
Treasurer: Jeff Lobdell is the president and founder of Restaurant Partners Management, LLC. Lobdell has been passionate about the hospitality industry, his restaurant businesses, and the communities that they operate in for more than 35 years. He supports many local non-profits focused on supporting local kids and families. He also serves as a member of the Grand Rapids Police Foundation Board and is active within the Michigan Restaurant and Lodging Association. Lobdell is a graduate of Michigan State University’s School of Hospitality.
The National Restaurant Association also added several new members to the board. The newly elected directors include:
- Mark Bucher, Medium Rare
- Ashley Coneff, Inspire Brands
- Dana Faulk Query, Big Red F Restaurant Group
- Amanda Grimmer, Darden Restaurants
- Scott Kammerer, SoDel Concepts
- Cathie Koch, Bloomin’ Brands
- Adam Mills, Kansas Restaurant and Hospitality Association
- Lynn Minges, North Carolina Restaurant and Lodging Association
- Grace Shea, Lebanese Taverna Group
- Pamela Stewart, The Coca-Cola Company
- Chris Wiken, The Packing House Restaurant
- Alex Williams, Moe’s Southwest Grill
National Restaurant Association Educational Foundation
Chair: Kent Walrack (pictured right) is a 38-year veteran of the food service business who recently retired from Lyons Magnus. Lyons Magnus is a privately held company based in Fresno, California, whose core business is manufacturing and marketing fruit and flavor-related products to the food service, dairy and contract packing industries. He also served on the executive board as past chair of the International Foodservice Manufacturers Association (IFMA). He graduated from Boise State University with a Bachelor of Science degree in business administration with an emphasis in marketing.
Vice Chair: James Fripp is the chief equity and inclusion officer of Yum! Brands. In this role, Fripp, working with executives across Yum! Brands, KFC, Pizza Hut, Taco Bell and The Habit Burger Grill, has global responsibility for advancing diversity, equity and inclusion strategies and practices across the company’s brands, workplaces and franchise system. Since 2011, Fripp has led diversity and inclusion efforts, where he elevated Yum! Brands’ public commitments and partnerships. Fripp is a member of the Clemson University Corporate CDO Advisory Board and Chair of the Corporate Advisory Board for the Multicultural Foodservice and Hospitality Alliance. He is also a member of University of North Carolina Corporate Advisory Board on Diversity & Inclusion. He holds a Degree in Business Management and is a certified Unconscious Bias facilitator.
Treasurer: Shaun Beard is the senior vice president of SAVOR Hospitality, where he is responsible for establishing and growing the SAVOR brand for the parent company, ASM Global Facility Management, while increasing operating income through operating restaurants, catering, concession and large special events. He previously served as vice president at CENTERPLATE in Spartanburg, South Carolina, where he directed planning and executed strategies across the U.S. and Canada. Beard holds a Bachelor of Science degree from the University of Colorado and has completed the Executive Management Program at the University of Florida and earned certificates at the Culinary Institute of America.
In addition to naming its new board officers, the Educational Foundation also introduced its new board trustees. They include:
- Hector Gallardo, The Coca-Cola Company
- Kristine Hillmer, Wisconsin Restaurant Association
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About the National Restaurant Association: Founded in 1919, the National Restaurant Association is the leading business association for the restaurant industry, which comprises 1 million restaurant and foodservice outlets and a workforce of 15.6 million employees. We represent the industry in Washington, D.C., and advocate on its behalf. We sponsor the industry’s largest trade show (National Restaurant Association Show); leading food safety training and certification program (ServSafe); unique career-building high school program (the NRAEF’s ProStart). For more information, visit Restaurant.org and find us on Twitter @WeRRestaurants, Facebook and YouTube.
About the National Restaurant Association Educational Foundation: As the philanthropic foundation of the National Restaurant Association, the National Restaurant Association Educational Foundation’s mission of service to the public is dedicated to enhancing the industry’s training and education, career development and community engagement efforts. The NRAEF and its programs work to Attract, Empower and Advance today’s and tomorrow’s restaurant and foodservice workforce. NRAEF programs include: ProStart® – a high-school career and technical education program; Restaurant Ready – partnering with community based organizations to provide “opportunity youth” with skills training and job opportunities; Military – helping military servicemen and women transition their skills to restaurant and foodservice careers; Scholarships – financial assistance for students pursuing restaurant, foodservice and hospitality degrees; and, the Hospitality Sector Registered Apprenticeship project – a partnership with the American Hotel & Lodging Association providing a hospitality apprenticeship program for the industry. For more information on the NRAEF, visit ChooseRestaurants.org.
CONTACT:
Vanessa Sink
National Restaurant Association
vsink@restaurant.org
Hannah Oliver
National Restaurant Association Educational Foundation
holiver@nraef.org
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