National Restaurant Association Educational Foundation Appoints Katherine Speyer Schieffelin As Chief Development Officer

CHICAGO, Dec. 20, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- The National Restaurant Association Educational Foundation (NRAEF) announced today that Katherine Speyer Schieffelin has joined the Foundation as senior vice president and chief development officer. Schieffelin brings more than a decade of experience in management, fundraising and campaign planning to the NRAEF and will aid in the Foundation's mission to enhance the industry's service to the public through education, community engagement and the promotion of career opportunities. 

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In her new role, Schieffelin will be responsible for leading and executing current and future strategies to build a strong fundraising culture and programs that meet annual and long-term Foundation goals. 

"Katherine brings extensive fundraising experience and knowledge to the NRAEF," said Rob Gifford, executive vice president of philanthropic initiatives for the National Restaurant Association Educational Foundation. "Resource development is integral to supporting the Foundation's mission, and we're confident that she will be a strong strategic leader who can drive our fundraising activities to new heights."

Schieffelin joins the NRAEF most recently from the Darden Business School at the University of Virginia, where she served as vice president of development. Prior to that, Schieffelin served as part of the senior management development team at the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania, where she was one of their top fundraisers. She is a graduate of Skidmore College and received a law degree from Pace University.  During her career, Schieffelin led the Darden School development team to break new records in a $150 million campaign, served as a senior strategist for Wharton's $550 million campaign and has personally solicited and secured over $60 million in gifts-to-date.

"I am thrilled to kick off the New Year by joining the Foundation team," said Katherine Schieffelin. "I am excited to develop new and winning strategies for the Foundation, as we continue our mission to attract, develop and retain a career-oriented professional workforce and illustrate the range of opportunities the restaurant industry provides."

According to the National Restaurant Association, total restaurant and foodservice employment is projected to grow by 11 percent over the next 10 years and the NRAEF is committed to ensuring it supports the development of a highly trained and professional talent pool.

Through donations and industry partners, the NRAEF celebrated another successful year in 2012, awarding $3 million in scholarships and ProStart support to students, educators and state restaurant association partners to feed their dreams and build their futures in the restaurant industry. ProStart is a nationwide, two-year program for high school students that unites the industry and the classroom to develop tomorrow's restaurant leaders.

With national and local support from industry members, educators, state restaurant associations and the NRAEF, ProStart reaches 1,700 schools and 90,000 students around the U.S. For more information on the ProStart program, visit www.nraef.org/prostart or find us on Twitter or Facebook.

About the National Restaurant Association Educational Foundation:

As the philanthropic foundation of the National Restaurant Association, the National Restaurant Association Educational Foundation (NRAEF)'s goal is to enhance the stature of the restaurant industry. The restaurant and foodservice industry comprises 960,000 restaurant and foodservice outlets and a workforce of nearly 13 million employees, making it one of the nation's largest employers. The NRAEF's focus is to attract, develop and retain a career-oriented professional workforce and to create a more positive business climate for the restaurant industry. For more information on the NRAEF, visit NRAEF.org.

Media Contact:
Amanda DelPrete
Fish Consulting
954-893-9150
[email protected]

Megan Meyer
NRAEF
312-715-6741
[email protected]

SOURCE National Restaurant Association Educational Foundation