Restaurant association sticks a fork in leader

Amid allegations of mismanagement, head of one of state's largest lobbying groups resigns

Email | Print By Ken Whitehouse

The head of one of the state's largest lobbying associations has stepped down, NashvillePost.com has learned.

Ronnie Hart, president and chief executive officer of the Tennessee Restaurant Association, after years of fighting lawsuits and allegations claiming that he had woefully mismanaged the group's workers' compensation fund, resigned his position earlier today.

The news comes amid recent speculation that he would have soon been removed from his duties had he not voluntarily resigned. Dan Haskell, general counsel for the association, contacted NashvillePost.com with the following statement.

"The Tennessee Restaurant Association and Ronnie Hart have reached an agreement to provide for an early retirement in recognition of 30-plus years of service. Ronnie will continue to work full-time for a couple of months and consult for a time after that."

In 2005, the Tennessee Department of Commerce and Insurance liquidated the TRA's trust workers' compensation fund, which is a separate legal entity from the TRA, and gave the Tennessee Restaurant Association's workers compensation members a tab of $4.8 million to pay for a shortfall in their injured workers fund.

Hospitality Management Plus, a company owned by Hart that was tasked with managing the workers compensation fund, is now being sued by the state along with Claims Management Consultants and William Shores, CPA. The state says that the claims reserves were significantly understated due to the "errors and omissions" of the defendants.

To see copies of lawsuits filed in this case, click here.