LRAEF Board of Directors
Greg Reggio, Chair, Taste Buds Management
Garret LeBlanc, Vice Chair, B&G Food Enterprises
Tony Rodrigue, Secretary/Treasurer, Acme Oyster House
Michael Eastman, Immediate Past Chair, Auto-Chlor System
Alan Guilbeau, Bengal Products
Caroline Rodrigue, Galatoire's
Derrick Dunne, Raising Cane's Chicken Fingers
Emery Whalen, QED Hospitality
Justin Kennedy, Parkway Bakery & Tavern
Karen Coaxum, Coaxum Enterprises
Megan Klock, Ruffino's
Octavio Mantilla, BRG Hospitalty
Stephen Hightower, Baton Rouge Epicurean Society
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
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.
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Annual Reports
Education Foundation News
Latest News The restaurant industry has never stood still. From online ordering and mobile payments to kitchen automation and digital marketing, operators have continually adapted to meet changing consumer expectations. Today, artificial intelligence is driving the next evolution-and it’s happening faster than many realize. That’s why the Louisiana Restaurant Association is excited to welcome internationally…
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Latest News The Louisiana Restaurant Association (LRA) will welcome thousands of restaurant and hospitality professionals from across Louisiana and the Gulf South to the 73rd Annual LRA Showcase, July 25-26, 2026, in Hall I of the New Orleans Morial Convention Center. Designed exclusively for industry professionals, the LRA Showcase features hundreds of exhibiting companies showcasing…
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Latest News When Jeremiah Thomas first stepped into a high school culinary classroom at Istrouma High School in Baton Rouge, he discovered more than a passion for cooking-he found a pathway to a career. Today, the Louisiana ProStart alumnus is pursuing that dream at the New Orleans Culinary & Hospitality Institute (NOCHI), where he recently…
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