National Restaurant Association
Senior Vice President, Government Affairs and Public Policy

Topics: Public policy, immigration reform

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John Gay National Restaurant Association Download high-resolution photo

As senior vice president of government affairs and public policy, John Gay oversees the National Restaurant Association's comprehensive government relations effort.

In addition to overseeing the legislative and regulatory efforts of the National Restaurant Association, Gay is responsible for the Association's political and fundraising programs, including its political action committee. One of the nation's largest business PACs, the National Restaurant Association Political Action Committee is instrumental in electing pro-free-enterprise candidates to federal office. He also supervises the Save American Free Enterprise (SAFE) Fund, which provides support to state restaurant associations on state and local issue campaigns.

A leader in the effort to reform our nation's broken immigration system, Gay is co-founder and co-chairman of the Essential Worker Immigration Coalition, a group of more than 40 national trade associations seeking reform of the country's immigration system. Gay also is chairman of the board of directors of the National Immigration Forum. The Forum's members include business, labor, religious and immigrant advocacy groups that advocate improved immigration policies and better understanding of immigrants' valuable role in society.

Gay has been cited in the Wall Street Journal, the New York Times, the Washington Post, the Los Angeles Times and Associated Press and has appeared on many television and radio programs.

Gay joined the Association in December 2005 with extensive public policy and trade association management experience. Most recently, he was vice president of government affairs for the International Franchise Association, where he worked with National Restaurant Association staff and members on issues important to both organizations. Gay previously served as vice president of government affairs at the American Hotel and Lodging Association, where he worked with state restaurant association partners who represent the restaurant and lodging industries.

Before joining AHLA, Gay worked in the corporate side of government relations, serving for a decade in Arthur Andersen's Office of Federal Services. In that role, he was responsible for international trade and investment issues. In the mid-1980s, Gay worked on the legislative staff of then-U.S. Sen. Mack Mattingly (R-Ga.).

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