CHICAGO, March 17, 2026 — IFMA The Food Away from Home Association is pleased to announce the hiring of Heather Lalley as its new Director of Communications.
Lalley joins the association after nearly a decade with Winsight/Informa, where she built a strong reputation as a respected journalist and editorial leader covering the food industry. Most recently, she served as managing editor of Informa publications Restaurant Business, CSP Daily News and Supermarket News. She previously was editor-in-chief of Winsight Grocery Business.
Throughout her career, Lalley has distinguished herself through thoughtful reporting and sharp industry insight. She covered independent restaurants and fast-casual chains as they navigated the unprecedented challenges of the pandemic, and her work with the team at Restaurant Business earned multiple Jesse H. Neal Awards for reporting and writing.
In her new role, Lalley will drive communications strategy and storytelling efforts, amplifying the association’s mission, voice and brand across every channel. Working closely with leadership and partners, she will help shape thought leadership, news and content, while building on the strong editorial foundation established by Managing Editor, Peter Romeo.
“Heather brings an exceptional combination of editorial excellence, strategic thinking and deep food industry knowledge to the Association,” said Phil Kafarakis, President & CEO of IFMA The Food Away from Home Association. “Her background in journalism, content leadership and storytelling will help us strengthen how we communicate with members, industry partners and the broader food-away-from-home community.”
Lalley holds a degree from the Medill School of Journalism at Northwestern University and also earned an associate’s degree in baking and pastry from Kennedy-King College. She is the author of the farm-to-table book, “The Chicago Homegrown Cookbook.”
About IFMA The Food Away from Home Association
IFMA The Food Away from Home Association is a trade association founded in 1952. The organization empowers, nurtures, and connects an inclusive and diverse $1.5 trillion food-away-from-home ecosystem of manufacturers, distributors, operators, and others. By sharing insights, fostering best practices, and developing networking and educational opportunities through events, IFMA The Food Away from Home Association informs and instructs its members, and motivates change to improve both individual organizations and the food-away-from-home industry at large. For more information, visit foodaway.org.