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NRA revamps gov't affairs arm

WASHINGTON As part of an ongoing restructuring plan, the National Restaurant Association said it is realigning its government affairs department to focus more closely on individual industry issues rather than on the jurisdictions in which the issues are raised.

The NRA's public affairs personnel now will specialize in specific issues, such as food safety, rather than track a wide range of legislative or regulatory concerns at the federal or state levels as they did previously. Under the new configuration, new positions are being created while others are being eliminated, said Dawn Sweeney, president and chief executive of the NRA.

Existing personnel are being encouraged to apply for the new positions, she said.

"The new structure recognizes the issues rather than the area in which they are playing out," Sweeney said, noting the change is being driven by the NRA's new five-year strategic plan. She said the new plan also would help to create closer relationships with the individual state restaurant associations.

"The industry has tremendous resources in the states that need to be tapped to deal with these challenges," she said.

Sweeney said the NRA is tracking some 72 issues, but is actively engaged in 12 to 15. Under the new plan, each concern will be addressed in the light of the five-year plan's four key imperatives: jobs and careers, food and healthy living, sustainability and social responsibility, and profitability and entrepreneurship.

The restructuring of the public affairs department is part of the NRA's push to realign its resources, eliminate redundancies and improve its effectiveness in keeping with its five-year plan. As part of the plan, David Gilbert was named to the newly created posts of chief operating officer of the NRA and executive director of NRA Solutions. A number of positions also were eliminated in the Chicago office. Other redundancies created by the merging of the NRA with its Educational Foundation also have been addressed, Sweeney said.

Contact Paul Frumkin at [email protected].

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