Our Mission
The Louisiana Restaurant Association Education Foundation (LRAEF) is a 501 (c)3 non-profit organization that was founded in 1995 and is governed by a board of directors made up of restaurants, industry experts and educators in the hospitality industry. The Louisiana Restaurant Association Education Foundation exists to enhance the industry's service to the public through education, community engagement and promotion of career opportunities.
The three main programs that LRAEF offers are ProStart, a high school culinary and restaurant management program; the LRAEF Scholars, which provides scholarships to students pursuing a degree in culinary arts or hospitality; and the Restaurant Youth Registered Apprenticeship, which is an earn as you learn program. |
Current Leadership
LRAEF Board of Directors
Tammy Smitherman, Heartland Payment Systems, Chair
Michael Eastman, Auto-Chlor System, Vice Chair Greg Reggio, Taste Buds Management, Secretary/Treasurer Garret LeBlanc, B&G Food Enterprises Tony Rodrigue, Acme Oyster House Bobby Hufft, Ecolab Octavio Mantilla, BRG Hospitality Derrick Dunne, Raising Cane's Chicken Fingers Stephen Hightower, Baton Rouge Epicurean Society Emery Whalen, QED Hospitality, Jack Rose Restaurant, New Orleans Glen Armantrout, Mahony's Po-boys & Seafood, New Orleans Jason Jones, Sysco, Immediate Past Chair |
Academic Advisor
Dr. Yvette Green, UNO Kabacoff School of HRT Industry Representatives Felton Jones, PJ's Coffee Ex-Officio Stan Harris, CEO, Louisiana Restaurant Association Jonathan Baynham, Executive Director Alan Guilbeau, PJ's Coffee |
LRAEF Articulation Agreements
The LRA Education Foundation is proud to partner with these educational institutions through articulation agreements, which provides a smooth transition of credits from the completion of ProStart I and II. We are grateful to these schools for their commitment to the foodservice and hospitality industry.