Examining leadership in Louisiana's restaurant industry

The Louisiana Restaurant Association (LRA) is in a new phase in its development. With the retirement of its former president and chief executive officer in 2010, the volunteer leaders conducted a national search—the first time for many of them—for someone to lead them into a new era for your association. That individual is Stan Harris—a former successful restaurateur with a strong business acumen and an active leader.

The LRA Executive Committee charged Harris with bringing a solid business approach to the association and leading a strategic restructuring to align the LRA and its highly-valued Self Insurer’s Fund forWorkers’ Compensation. Another task is to raise awareness of the Louisiana ProStart^® program, the two-year, restaurant management and culinary curriculum offered in 50 high schools statewide.

While much of that work has began at the staff level in 2011, the real work begins this year as members of the state board and the nine LRA chapter presidents will evaluate themselves and begin to set the course for the future of our association and industry. Enhancing the industry’s identity and reputation is at the forefront of this initiative.

Developing the next generation of industry leaders

Given the level of involvement necessary to evolve the LRA, 2012 LRA Chair Melvin Rodrigue appointed LRA Past Chair Glen Armantrout as Chapter Leadership Chair this year. In preparation and in conjunction with LRA senior staff, the first Chapter Leadership Conference was instituted this past December. All nine chapter presidents attended as well as the nine chapter vice presidents.