The RI Hospitality Association (RIHA) announced that Traci Dufresne, Director of the RI Hospitality Education Foundation (RIHEF), successfully completed her first year at the Institute for Organization Management (IOM). The program, part of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation, is designed to enhance the professional growth of association, chamber and nonprofit executives. Since 1921, the Institute program has been educating tens of thousands of leaders on how to build stronger organizations, better serve their members and become strong business advocates. Dufresne, a resident of Woonsocket, joined RIHA as its Manager of Hospitality Workforce Development in 2021 and was named Director of RIHEF in March 2023, where she oversees all workforce development initiatives and Hospitality Training Academy programs, manages educational grant contracts, develops and implements fundraising efforts, and coordinates the RI Hospitality Employee Relief Fund along with other scholarship funds. “We are incredibly proud of Traci’s achievement,” said Farouk Rajab, President/CEO, RIHA. “Her participation in the IOM program not only reflects her personal commitment to growth but also enhances the strength and capability of our entire team.”