Dr. Emily Williams Knight is the president and CEO of the Texas Restaurant Association (TRA), which represents more than 53,000 restaurants generating a combined $87 billion in sales and employing 1.3 million people in the Lone Star State. Since moving into the position in 2019, Knight’s efforts on behalf of the industry have earned her a reputation as a fierce and effective leader, and she has furthered the TRA’s mission of safeguarding and advancing the interests of members while closely monitoring a broad range of legislative issues. Knight has held executive leadership positions across the globe in several multinational companies, in which she found success by building high-performing teams, a passion for winning and a tireless work ethic. Leveraging her empathy for others, Knight has driven change at the state and national levels, culminating in 2021 with the most sweeping success the TRA had ever achieved when the association helped drive the passage of six bills supporting restaurants in the Texas legislature.