The National Restaurant Association Educational Foundation (NRAEF) announced today that Michelle McCarthy has joined the Foundation as Vice President of Development.

McCarthy brings 20 years of experience in financial management, fundraising and strategic 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.

In her new role, McCarthy will be responsible for leading and executing short term, annual and long term foundation fundraising activities. She will work with Rob Gifford, executive vice president of NRAEF, and the NRAEF Board of Trustees, to design and implement comprehensive strategies and initiatives that ensure the success of individual, corporate and foundation giving.

"Michelle brings solid development experience and fundraising knowledge to the NRAEF," said Rob Gifford. "Building additional financial resources is critical for the Foundation and will ensure that we are able to fulfill our mission of education, engagement and career opportunities. I am confident that Michelle is the strong leader that can help us drive fundraising to new heights."

McCarthy joins NRAEF most recently from Round It Up America®, an organization designed to assist restaurants by providing a technical, legal and financially compliant fundraising platform for Point-of-Sale systems. As Chief Operations Officer for the organization, McCarthy was responsible for program oversight, including strategic planning, staffing, and cultivating partnerships at all levels to increase awareness and funding. Her efforts were crucial to Round It Up America's® success – the program is currently running in hundreds of locations in 37 states and has raised over $3.5 million for more than 100 charities across the U.S.

McCarthy previously served as Chief Operating Officer at the American Red Cross, Los Angeles Region, where she played a key role in transitioning the entire organization's operations and financial structure from thousands of chapters to one standard enterprise system. Prior to that, she was Senior Associate Vice President of Finance and Administration at the University of Southern California (USC), where she oversaw a $2 billioncapital construction program aimed at developing the most competitive research facilities in the nation.

"I am very excited to join the Foundation team," said McCarthy. "I look forward to helping grow the Foundation's giving initiatives as we continue our mission to cultivate talent and build the next generation of industry leaders."

About the National Restaurant Association Educational Foundation:

As the philanthropic foundation of the National Restaurant Association, the NRAEF exists to enhance the restaurant industry's service to the public through education, community engagement and promotion of career opportunities. The NRAEF works to attract, develop and retain a career-oriented professional workforce for the restaurant industry. In 2016, the restaurant and foodservice industry is projected to comprise one million outlets and a workforce of 14.4 million employees, making it the nation's second largest private sector employer. For more information on the NRAEF, visit NRAEF.org.