State of the Restaurant Industry

James Leewright with the Oklahoma Restaurant Association will give a State of the Restaurant Industry report.

Speaker Biography
Oklahoma Restaurant Association President & CEO
​JAMES LEEWRIGHT
​In June 2022, James was appointed President & CEO of the Oklahoma Restaurant Association and the Oklahoma Hospitality Foundation. Prior to joining the ORA, James Leewright was elected to the Oklahoma House of Representatives in 2014 and in 2016 was elected to the Oklahoma State Senate representing District 12 Creek and parts of Tulsa counties.

​For the ORA, James is responsible for meeting member needs and for driving profitability while managing organizational structure, and strategy. He leads the association’s public policy, advocacy, and regulatory efforts on behalf of the restaurant industry, and leads the association’s advocacy team which includes the contract lobbyist. He also coordinates with the association’s officers, and the board of directors, and communicates advocacy initiatives with the National Restaurant Association. James also serves as CEO of the Oklahoma Hotel & Lodging Association and the Oklahoma Travel Industry Association and represents the industry through his service to the Oklahoma Foodservice Advisory Council and the OSU Spears School of Business Hospitality Tourism Management program.