The National Restaurant Association today announced the appointment of Michelle L. Korsmo as its president/CEO and CEO of the National Restaurant Association Educational Foundation, effective May 1, 2022. Korsmo will be responsible for guiding the NRA in its mission to help the restaurant and foodservice community thrive.

The restaurant industry is the nation’s second-largest private sector employer with nearly 1 million foodservice outlets nationwide. The industry is forecast to reach $898 billion in sales this year, and increase its workforce by more than 400,000 jobs. The NRA, founded in 1919, sponsors the industry’s largest event, the National Restaurant Association Show.

A seasoned trade association executive, Korsmo has served as president/CEO of the Wine & Spirits Wholesalers of America (WSWA) since 2018. Before that, she was CEO of the American Land Title Association after being promoted from COO. Additionally, Korsmo was executive vice president at Americans for Prosperity Foundation and served in the 2001-2004 Bush Administration as Deputy Chief of Staff to Secretary of Labor Elaine Chao.