National Restaurant Association Announces Two Promotions
Kelly Benedetti to Vice President of State and Industry Relations and Tim Ehlert to Manager of State Relations and SAFE
The National Restaurant Association announced today that Kelly Benedetti has been promoted to vice president of State and Industry Relations and Tim Ehlert has been promoted to manager of State Relations and Save American Free Enterprise (SAFE) Fund.
'Kelly has played an instrumental role in the many successes the Association has achieved, and I am confident there will be many more to come in the future under her department's leadership,' said Peter Kilgore, the Association's acting interim president and chief executive officer. 'The Association is well-known for its powerful influence on the national level, but many issues are now being driven on state and local levels. Kelly's experience will be vitally important as she and her team continue working with our valuable state association partners and state legislators toward a common goal to benefit the restaurant industry's pro-employee/pro-employer public policy agenda."
Benedetti became director of the SAFE Fund in 2005, after starting at the Association in 2004 as SAFE manager. SAFE's mission is to mobilize, educate and execute the restaurant industry's political efforts at the state level in cooperation with the National Restaurant Association, state restaurant associations, multi-unit companies and allied partners. SAFE has contributed more than $6 million to state-level battles since the fund was created in 1996. As director of the SAFE Fund, Benedetti provided leadership in state government affairs for the restaurant industry. She worked to create "Mission 08," a two-year strategic offensive campaign aimed at providing leadership and financial support to improve the restaurant industry's political position through organization and education focused at the state level.
Prior to her arrival at the Association, Benedetti worked at the Irrigation Association (IA), where she revitalized the dormant IA Education Foundation (IAEF) by creating program and marketing initiatives to position IAEF as a key industry resource to the academic community, in addition to developing and executing a fundraising campaign to support the Foundation.
Benedetti is originally from Hilliard, Ohio and is a graduate of Bowling Green State University where she earned a degree in Education. She currently resides in Washington D.C.
Ehlert joined the Association in 2006 as Coordinator for State Relations and Grassroots. Prior to that, Ehlert worked as a state research assistant for Tax Analysts in Falls Church, Virginia.
"Tim has been a tremendous asset to our state relations team," said Peter Kilgore, the Association's acting interim president and chief executive officer. "As policymaking continues to shift from the federal level to state and local levels, Tim understands the legislative challenges restaurateurs are facing - issues such as health care, minimum wage, menu labeling, trans fat bans, and immigration. As manager of state relations and SAFE, Tim will work to continue strengthening the Association's outreach to state legislatures and regulatory officials through our state restaurant and hospitality association partners."
Originally from Cut Bank, Montana, Ehlert earned a political science degree from the University of Montana. He currently resides in Arlington, Virginia. In his new role as Manager of State Relations and SAFE, Ehlert will report to the Vice President of State and Industry Relations.
'Kelly has played an instrumental role in the many successes the Association has achieved, and I am confident there will be many more to come in the future under her department's leadership,' said Peter Kilgore, the Association's acting interim president and chief executive officer. 'The Association is well-known for its powerful influence on the national level, but many issues are now being driven on state and local levels. Kelly's experience will be vitally important as she and her team continue working with our valuable state association partners and state legislators toward a common goal to benefit the restaurant industry's pro-employee/pro-employer public policy agenda."
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Benedetti became director of the SAFE Fund in 2005, after starting at the Association in 2004 as SAFE manager. SAFE's mission is to mobilize, educate and execute the restaurant industry's political efforts at the state level in cooperation with the National Restaurant Association, state restaurant associations, multi-unit companies and allied partners. SAFE has contributed more than $6 million to state-level battles since the fund was created in 1996. As director of the SAFE Fund, Benedetti provided leadership in state government affairs for the restaurant industry. She worked to create "Mission 08," a two-year strategic offensive campaign aimed at providing leadership and financial support to improve the restaurant industry's political position through organization and education focused at the state level.
Prior to her arrival at the Association, Benedetti worked at the Irrigation Association (IA), where she revitalized the dormant IA Education Foundation (IAEF) by creating program and marketing initiatives to position IAEF as a key industry resource to the academic community, in addition to developing and executing a fundraising campaign to support the Foundation.
Benedetti is originally from Hilliard, Ohio and is a graduate of Bowling Green State University where she earned a degree in Education. She currently resides in Washington D.C.
Ehlert joined the Association in 2006 as Coordinator for State Relations and Grassroots. Prior to that, Ehlert worked as a state research assistant for Tax Analysts in Falls Church, Virginia.
"Tim has been a tremendous asset to our state relations team," said Peter Kilgore, the Association's acting interim president and chief executive officer. "As policymaking continues to shift from the federal level to state and local levels, Tim understands the legislative challenges restaurateurs are facing - issues such as health care, minimum wage, menu labeling, trans fat bans, and immigration. As manager of state relations and SAFE, Tim will work to continue strengthening the Association's outreach to state legislatures and regulatory officials through our state restaurant and hospitality association partners."
Originally from Cut Bank, Montana, Ehlert earned a political science degree from the University of Montana. He currently resides in Arlington, Virginia. In his new role as Manager of State Relations and SAFE, Ehlert will report to the Vice President of State and Industry Relations.
