NRA extends Sweeney’s contract by 5 years

The National Restaurant Association has extended the contract of CEO and president Dawn Sweeney for five years, through 2019, the group announced Friday.

"Dawn has been an outstanding CEO for the past seven years, and we know that she will continue to provide vision and impactful leadership on behalf of the industry for the foreseeable future," said Jack Crawford, CEO of the Ground Round Independent Owners Cooperative and this year’s chairman of the NRA’s board.

Sweeney also serves as CEO and president of the National Restaurant Association Educational Foundation, the education arm of the group.

In extending Sweeney’s contract, the NRA noted that the association’s revenues have increased by more than 40 percent since she moved over from AARP in 2007.

Among the most recent initiatives undertaken by the NRA under Sweeney is an effort to improve the restaurant industry’s image by highlighting success stories. The effort is part of a multiyear program to increase the industry’s impact and engagement.

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