Amanda Smith

Executive Vice President, Michigan Restaurant & Lodging Association (MRLA)
Executive Director, MRLA Educational Foundation
Executive Director, Hospitality Training Institute of Michigan

Amanda Smith has a lifelong love of the hospitality industry.  She is currently the Executive Vice President of the Michigan Restaurant & Lodging Association (MRLA), the Executive Director for the MRLA Educational Foundation, and the Executive Director of the Hospitality Training Institute of Michigan.

Working closely with local public health officials, the Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development, and the Michigan Liquor Control Commission, Ms. Smith directs the education programs for the Michigan Restaurant & Lodging Association, including ServSafe Manager Certification, ServSafe Responsible Alcohol Service, ServSafe Allergen, and ServSafe Food Handler.

As the Executive Director of the Educational Foundation, Smith has grown revenues by more than one hundred and sixty percent.  She has expanded product offerings, including the 2020 launch of the Michigan Hospitality Industry Employee Relief Fund.  Smith has successfully secured and managed many grants awards and state appropriations.   

She oversees the ProStart® program with more than 6,000 students at 69 career and technical centers and 12 correctional facilities. Under her leadership, Michigan became the first state to provide ServSafe Manager certification to CTE students.  In collaboration with the Michigan Department of Education, Smith successfully gained a Perkins-approved program designation for Hospitality & Tourism Management providing a career pathway for the lodging industry. She has also developed partnerships with community-based organizations bringing to Michigan the Restaurant Ready program in 2019 and the HOPES program in 2021.

Under her leadership, The Hospitality Training Institute of Michigan (HTIM) was launched in 2021. HTIM provides advancement opportunities for incumbent hospitality workers and is licensed as a proprietary school, by the Michigan Department of Labor & Economic Opportunity. 

Amanda holds a Business Administration and Communication Arts Bachelor’s Degree from Aquinas College and a Women in Leadership Certificate from Cornell University.  She and her husband, Pat have three active children, and she serves on numerous boards and committees to support their passions.