CHICAGO - The National Restaurant Association Educational Foundation (NRAEF) is honored to welcome five new Trustees to its Board for the 2005-2006 term. Marilyn Benson, senior vice president, partnership management, Diners Club International; Rob Gifford, executive director, Michigan Restaurant Association; Sandy Solmon, founder, president and CEO, Sweet Street Desserts; Zed (Zewditu) Wondemu, president, Zed's, Inc.; and Kevin Yost, senior vice president, customer & business solutions, Swift & Company have joined the NRAEF Board of Trustees, which comprises prominent leaders of the restaurant and foodservice industry to help advance the industry's initiatives.

"We are thrilled to welcome these five distinguished industry leaders to the NRAEF's Board of Trustees," said Ferdinand E. Metz, CMC, chairman of the Board of Trustees. "They bring tremendous experience and vision to the Board, and their participation further enhances our industry's position as the cornerstone of career-and-employment opportunities. Their input will undoubtedly help enhance the NRAEF's three key strategic priorities of risk management, recruitment, and retention."

Marilyn Benson brings her expertise in managing marketing and business development to the NRAEF Board of Trustees after 10 years of service with Diners Club International. Prior to joining Dinners Club in 1995, Benson was regional vice president and general manager for American Express. Benson is a member of the National Restaurant Association, the American Hotel & Lodging Association and the Women's Foodservice Forum. Benson also serves as a fellow of The Culinary Institute of America and on the advisory board of Virginia Tech. Benson currently resides with her husband in Miami, Florida.

Rob Gifford comes to the NRAEF Board of Trustees from the Michigan Restaurant Association, a non-profit trade association representing more than 4,500 restaurants throughout the state. Gifford brings along his experience from serving for three years as a lobbyist for the National Restaurant Association and prior to that, serving for six years as a staff member in the United States Senate. An economics graduate of the University of Maryland, Gifford currently resides in Haslett, Michigan.

Sandy Solmon, founder, president and CEO of Sweet Street Desserts will benefit the NRAEF Board of Trustees with over 25 years of experience with her dessert manufacturing company. Being the largest manufacturer of frozen desserts in North America, Sweet Street Desserts produces over 60,000 cases of desserts each week and has been awarded 15 copyrights by the U.S. Copyright Office, recognizing the design of food products. Solmon is a graduate of the University of California at Berkley and is a member of several nationally recognized business and foodservice organizations. Currently, Solmon resides in Reading, Pennsylvania.

Born in Ethiopia, Zed (Zewditu) Wondemu has been involved in the restaurant and foodservice industry for many years. Wondemu is president of Zed's Incorported, which includes a Georgetown restaurant -- Zed's Ethiopian Cuisine, a variety of gift and lobby shops around Washington, DC and also Zed's Properties. Wondemu was past chairman of the board of the Restaurant Association of Metropolitan Washington DC and was co-chair of the Greater Washington Hospitality Foundation. Currently, Wondemu serves as board director of the National Restaurant Association and resides in the Georgetown area of Washington, DC.

Kevin Yost currently serves as senior vice president of customer and business solutions at Swift & Company, the premier protein provider to customers globally. Yost brings his expertise in strategic business improvements to the NRAEF Board of Trustees. Prior to Swift, Yost was vice president of marketing groups for meat companies for ConAgra Foods. A graduate of the business school at the University of Nebraska, Yost currently resides in Greeley, Colorado.

The 39 NRAEF Trustees meet three times a year to review and provide counsel on the NRAEF's strategic direction.

** Biographies and photos of Trustees available upon request.

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About NRAEF
The National Restaurant Association Educational Foundation (NRAEF) is a not-for-profit organization dedicated to fulfilling the e educational mission of the National Restaurant Association. As the nation's largest private sector employer, the restaurant and foodservice industry is the cornerstone of the American economy, of career-and-employment opportunities, and of local communities. Focusing on three key strategies of risk management, recruitment, and retention, the NRAEF is the premier provider of educational resources, materials, and programs, which address attracting, developing and retaining the industry's workforce. Sales from all NRAEF products and services benefit the industry by directly supporting the NRAEF's educational initiatives. For more information on the NRAEF, visit www.nraef.org .