September 14, 2009
Contact: Mike Donohue (202) 331-5902, Annika Stensson (202) 973-3677

(Washington, D.C.) The National Restaurant Association today announced that Michael Gibbons, president and CEO of Mainstreet Ventures, Inc., was elected chairman of the Board of Directors during the Association's September Board meeting in the nation’s capital. Gibbons will serve as chairman until January 2011.

“We are excited to continue to grow membership and strengthen the National Restaurant Association’s services under Mike’s leadership,” said Dawn Sweeney, President and CEO of the Association. “He will be instrumental in advancing the Association’s new strategic plan and promoting an expanded portfolio of member benefits that will strengthen the restaurant and foodservice industry as a whole. Mike’s passion for the industry and vast experience will be extremely valuable to supporting our mission.”

The chairman is a volunteer position held by a member of the Association's Board of Directors who is an exceptional leader in the restaurant industry. When electing officers, directors consider the individual's level of participation in Board activities, his or her leadership skills, stature and involvement in industry activities.

Gibbons is the president and CEO of Mainstreet Ventures, Inc., in Ann Arbor, Mich., a regional restaurant chain that began as a single restaurant venture. The portfolio currently features several diverse restaurant concepts operating in Ohio, West Virginia, Michigan, Maryland and Florida, including Real Seafood Co., Ristorante Gratzi, Blue Pointe Seafood, Palio Ristorante, La Dolce Vita, Tidewater Grill, Ciao, Chop House, Zia’s, Carson’s American Bistro and Carson’s Steakhouse.

Gibbons began serving on the Association's Board in 2000, and previously held the positions of treasurer and vice chairman, as well as being a member of the Board of Trustees of the National Restaurant Association Educational Foundation. In 2007, Gibbons dedicated one month to serving as a Hennessy traveler, joining a four-person team to tour dining facilities in nominated U.S. Air Force bases worldwide in their quest to earn the coveted Air Force foodservice award, the John L. Hennessy trophy.

Active in state restaurant associations, Gibbons is a former president of the Michigan Restaurant Association and recipient of its highest honor, the Distinguished Service Award, and also received recognition as the 2001 Northwest Ohio as Entrepreneur of the Year. He remains active in Chambers of Commerce in communities where his restaurants are located, and supports numerous charitable organizations, including YMCA, Neighborhood Senior Services, and The Ability Center of Toledo. Additionally, he shares his skills as a teacher and advisor in local community colleges.

Also at the Association’s Board of Directors meeting, Sally Smith, president and chief executive officer of Buffalo Wild Wings, Inc., in Minneapolis, Minn., was elected vice chair; and Rosalyn “Roz” Mallet, president and CEO of PhaseNext Hospitality in Plano, Texas, was elected treasurer.