President's Message
by Jeff Tuma, President of the Board
United We Stand
As the Michigan Restaurant Association moves into 1998, I would
like to begin by taking a look at from where we have come. I have
been very close to this association for more than thirty years
when my father, Clarence Tuma, first began serving on the Board
of Directors with other hospitality notables such as Win Schuler,
Harris Machus, Eddy Zehnder, Tiny Zehnder, Jerry Hill and Henry
Montague, to name only a few of the many greats.
Looking back I recall the wonderful summer board meetings that
our entire family would attend along with the families of other
board members, and the friendships that grew from those special
times. I remember my dad talking to other restaurant owners from
across the state, asking questions and sharing advice. I believe
it gave them some degree of comfort knowing they all pretty much
had the same problems and concerns. In the late sixties and early
seventies I remember watching from the sidelines, with great interest,
when the minimum wage issue became the battle call for The Michigan
Restaurant Association, and how that small association came to
the defense of the entire industry.
Those are my earliest memories of the Michigan Restaurant Association
and, as they say, the more things change the more they stay the
same. Now going into 1998 there are still some of those same names
around, just a different generation.
The camaraderie is just as strong today as it was in the past.
The annual meetings at the Ritz Carlton bring together a broad
cross section of our membership where we can and do share our
concerns and challenges of the restaurant business of the nineties.
And yes, even today, we still walk away with that same degree
of comfort knowing we share common concerns.
Today our industry faces challenges from government intervention
on a daily basis. Whether it is the threat of another increase
in minimum wage, music licensing, or the new health code reforms,
watching the government and working within the framework of government
has become our primary duty. We, as an association, have become
a force to be reckoned with in Lansing. The Michigan Restaurant
Association has brought our industry to a new level among the
power brokers of government. No longer is our industry thought
of as hamburger flippers.
As I stated, our association has grown and become a real force.
That is due in no small part to the extraordinary leadership we
have had from our past presidents like Reid Ashton, Mike Gibbons,
Pat Priemer, Susan Zehnder, Dudley Marvin and my dear friend Kevin
Downey. I have learned a lot watching these people and I admire
their dedication and understanding of the hospitality industry.
They will be a tough act to follow.
The other component of our success, and what I truly believe to
be our greatest asset, is the exceptional staff Rob Gifford has
assembled. This team is second to none. They are a very professional,
highly motivated group of individuals that are dedicated to the
success of our organization.
Nineteen ninety-eight will be an exciting year and I look forward
to the challenges ahead. We are all in this association together
and together we will take it to new heights.
I wish you all a prosperous and enjoyable new year!
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