UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — Donna Quadri-Felitti, Marvin Ashner Director of the Penn State School of Hospitality Management, has been named to the National Restaurant Association Educational Foundation’s (NRAEF) board of trustees. The NRAEF is dedicated to enhancing the industry’s training and education, including career development and community engagement.
“Being named to the National Restaurant Association Educational Foundation Board of Trustees is a high honor,” said Quadri-Felitti. “I look forward to furthering the mission of the Foundation as it provides resources and guidance for tomorrow’s hospitality leaders, just as we do here at the Penn State School of Hospitality Management.”
Quadri-Felitti has served as the director and associate professor within the school of hospitality management since 2015, where she leads undergraduate and graduate degree programs, as well as all faculty, staff, outreach and philanthropy efforts, among others. Prior to coming to Penn State, Quadri-Felitti was academic chair and a clinical associate professor at New York University’s Tisch Center for Hospitality, Tourism, and Sports Management. Her hospitality industry experience includes multiple roles and many years in marketing, sales, development and consulting, working in just about every sector of the hospitality industry.
Quadri-Felitti is an active member of Hospitality Sales and Marketing Association International (HSMAI), and serves on the Castell @ College committee for the Castell Project, and the International Foodservice Manufacturers’ Association’s (IFMA) People Future 2025 Task Force, among others. She has been recognized for her hospitality accomplishments in multiple industry publications and she authors columns for industry publications as well. She is frequently invited to speak at hospitality and travel conferences, on the topics of changing consumer preferences and expectations.
“We are excited to have Donna Quadri-Felitti as a new member of our Board of Trustees,” said Rob Gifford, president of the NRAEF. “Donna shares our commitment to attract, empower and advance the next generation of restaurant leaders, and her expertise in hospitality education will be a tremendous benefit to the Foundation for many years to come.”
As a member of the NRAEF’s Board of Trustees, Quadri-Felitti will be able to further her impact on the hospitality industry, particularly when it comes to attracting, encouraging and advancing restaurant and foodservice professionals in innovative and empowering ways.
Some of the NRAEF’s most prominent initiatives include ProStart, a high school career and technical education program; Restaurant Ready, which creates partnerships with community-based organizations to provide opportunity youth and justice-involved individuals with training and job opportunities; and the Hospitality Sector Registered Apprenticeship project. The Foundation also provides scholarships to students pursuing restaurant and/or food service careers and special services to assist military servicemen and women in likewise pursuing restaurant and/or foodservice careers.
