Steve Danon is senior vice president of public affairs at the National Restaurant Association.
He oversees the National Restaurant Association’s digital, social, and traditional communications, outreach to the U.S. House of Representatives and Senate, state and local advocacy, grassroots, Restaurant PAC, Restaurant Advocacy Fund, and public policy initiatives.
Before joining the National Restaurant Association, Danon was partner and managing director of the Hudson Park Group, an international public affairs firm specializing in government and media relations, digital communications, coalition development and issue-based campaigns. Danon created public relations programs that had measurable results and impact on target audiences, attitudes and behavior that ensured client success.
For more than two decades, Danon has worked in communications and public affairs, providing insight on government relations, media and communications strategy. He has experience in international, national and local media relations, public affairs, political campaigns, crisis communications, and grassroots-coalition development.
Danon has provided strategic counsel to large corporate clients, government agencies, non-profits, trade associations, initiative campaigns and political candidates. He also has provided key insight on a variety of policy issues, including financial services, life sciences, health care, energy, telecommunications, housing, land-use, local government, transportation and environmental issues.
Prior to founding the HPG, Danon was vice president of strategic communications at DDC, an international public affairs firm based in Washington, D.C. He was chief of staff to a member of Congress from San Diego, Calif., and was a partner in Benedetto and Danon Public Relations.
Before founding his own firm, Danon was vice president of Porter Novelli International. Earlier in his career, Danon was chief of staff to a San Diego County supervisor and campaign manager for a mayor of the seventh largest city in the United States.
Danon got his professional start working at Burger King and put himself through college working at BJ’s Chicago Pizzeria (when it had only three locations) and Red Lobster. Danon is from Southern California and graduated from San Diego State University with a Bachelor of Arts in political science and a minor in communications.
Contact Steve at sdanon@restaurant.org