Kelsey Erickson Streufert is a licensed attorney and Texas Capitol veteran serving as the Chief Public Affairs Officer for the Texas Restaurant Association (TRA). The TRA represents the state’s $70 billion foodservice industry with more than 50,000 locations and 1.3 million jobs across Texas.

Kelsey joined the TRA at the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, making quick work of her experience to drive recovery efforts at the local, state, and federal levels. Under her leadership, the TRA helped to safely reopen restaurant dining rooms, secured the cocktails to-go regulatory waiver, and partnered with Texas’ federal delegation to pass the Paycheck Protection Program Flexibility Act—creating a critical lifeline for businesses across the country. Kelsey then led the TRA to its most successful Texas legislative session in memory, with the legislature passing six of the TRA’s eight priority bills and blocking every bill that the association opposed.

Prior to joining the TRA, Kelsey served as General Counsel for Texas Senator Kirk Watson (D-Austin), and as a Policy Analyst for Texas Senator John Carona (R-Dallas). A double Longhorn, Kelsey graduated at the top of her class from UT Austin with her Bachelor of Arts in Government and, six years later, her law degree. Kelsey also spent two years in Washington, DC, beginning with the Bill Archer Fellowship Program and an internship with NBC’s “Meet the Press.”

Kelsey grew up in Central Dallas but considers Austin her adopted hometown. When she's not working, she enjoys visiting local restaurants and spending time outside with her husband Preston and their three dogs—Maggie, Blue, and Ted.