Welcome to the

LRA Education Foundation

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.

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.

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Most Recent 990's

2020

2021

2022

Annual Reports

2021

2022

2023

Education Foundation News

Where Industry Meets University: City Hospitality Group & LSU Partner on New Restaurant Management Program

August 28, 2024

Latest News Baton Rouge is gaining a newfound respect for its elevated culinary offerings, with concept restaurants like those under City Group Hospitality (CGH) leading the charge. Now, a groundbreaking partnership between industry and academia is set to further elevate the region’s foodservice sector. This fall, the Louisiana Restaurant Association (LRA) proudly supports the launch…

ProStart Princesses: Honoring Chef Leah Chase at Disney’s Tiana’s Bayou Adventure

July 2, 2024

4 African American girls wearing Disney Mickey Mouse Ears Carrying a Black Disney Backpack

Latest News A group of young women from two ProStart programs in New Orleans are headed to Walt Disney World for an exclusive, all-expenses-paid culinary journey in honor of Chef Leah Chase, who inspired the animated motion picture The Princess and the Frog. Tiana’s Bayou Adventure, the newest attraction at Magic Kingdom Park, honors not only…