California Restaurant Foundation Names Wayne Hilston New Chair of the Board of Directors

Wayne Hilston
California Restaurant Foundation Elects Wayne Hilston as New Chair of the Board of Directors

California Restaurant Foundation Names Wayne Hilston New Chair of the Board of Directors

Hilston Will Lead the Foundation Board through August 31, 2025

The California Restaurant Foundation (CRF), a nonprofit that invests in and empowers California restaurants and its workforce, has elected Wayne Hilston as its new Chair of the Board of Directors. A proud and active CRF Board member since 2019, Hilston has served as Second Vice Chair and Vice Chair overseeing the Investment Committee, where his leadership has been instrumental in advancing the foundation’s mission to provide financial support and volunteer participation for key initiatives, including Restaurants Care and ProStart. Hilston’s term began September 1, 2024, and will continue through August 31, 2025.

“I am honored and humbled to continue supporting California Restaurant Foundation as its newly elected Foundation Chairman,” said Hilston. “It is inspiring to see the impact CRF has had on California’s restaurant community, its workers and the students who will become the industry’s future leaders. I am excited to amplify the foundation’s mission as Chairman and look forward to continuing my advocacy for CRF and its remarkable programs.”

Touting more than 35 years in commercial insurance with an emphasis on serving the hospitality community, Hilston brings a wealth of industry knowledge and dedication to his new role as CRF Chairman. Hilston has served as Vice President of Sales for Programs and Payroll Alliances at EMPLOYERS for nearly a decade, where he has developed a deep passion for working with business owners across the breadth of the restaurant and hospitality industry. EMPLOYERS has had a long-term relationship with the California Restaurant Association (CRA), a member-driven restaurant advocacy group that oversees CRF, to which it has lent Workers’ Compensation knowledge and guidance to CRA’s member community since 2006.

“We are thrilled to welcome Wayne Hilston as the new Chair of our Board of Directors, as his extensive experience with the hospitality industry, coupled with his deep commitment to our mission, makes him the perfect leader to guide us through this next chapter,” said Alycia Harshfield, Executive Director of CRF. “His vision and leadership will be invaluable as we continue to support and uplift California’s restaurant community.”

Outside of his work with CRF and EMPLOYERS, Hilston is an avid sports fan and enthusiastic outdoorsman. He and his wife Monica have four children and four grandchildren.

California is home to more than 90,000 eating and drinking places that ring up more than $72 billion in sales and employ more than 1.6 million workers, making restaurants an indisputable driving force in the state’s economy. The California Restaurant Foundation is a non-profit that empowers and invests in California’s restaurant workforce. Founded in 1981, CRF supports the restaurant community through relief grants for restaurant workers facing a hardship, job and life skills training for 14,000 high school students each year, and scholarships. For more information about the California Restaurant Foundation and its initiatives, please visit CalRestFoundation.org.

Employers Holdings, Inc. (NYSE: EIG), is a holding company with subsidiaries that are specialty providers of workers’ compensation insurance and services (collectively “EMPLOYERS”) focused on small and mid-sized businesses engaged in low-to-medium hazard industries. EMPLOYERS leverages over a century of experience to deliver comprehensive coverage solutions that meet the unique needs of its customers. Drawing from its long history and extensive knowledge, EMPLOYERS empowers businesses by protecting their most valuable asset – their employees – through exceptional claims management, loss control, and risk management services, creating safer work environments.

EMPLOYERS is also proud to offer Cerity, which is focused on providing digital-first, direct-to-consumer workers’ compensation insurance solutions with fast, and affordable coverage options through a user-friendly online platform.

EMPLOYERS operates throughout the United States, apart from four states that are served exclusively by their state funds. Insurance is offered through Employers Insurance Company of Nevada, Employers Compensation Insurance Company, Employers Preferred Insurance Company, Employers Assurance Company, and Cerity Insurance Company, all rated A – (Excellent) by A.M. Best. Not all companies do business in all jurisdictions.  EIG Services, Inc., and Cerity Services, Inc., are subsidiaries of Employers Holdings, Inc. EMPLOYERS is a registered trademark of EIG Services, Inc., and Cerity is a registered trademark of Cerity Services, Inc. For more information, please visit EMPLOYERS.com and Cerity.com.