The National Restaurant Association added Steven Hilton, vice president of government relations for McDonald’s Corporation, to its Board of Directors. Hilton was inducted at the Association’s fall 2011 board meeting in Washington, D.C., last month and will serve through December 31, 2013, when he is eligible to renew his commitment.

The National Restaurant Association’s Board of Directors consists of industry leaders who serve on a voluntary basis to guide the Association toward its vision of leading America’s restaurants into a new era of prosperity, prominence, and participation, enhancing the quality of life for all it serves.

In his role at McDonald’s, Hilton leads the corporate government relations team, which manages McDonald’s state, federal, and international government activities. He is responsible for building and protecting the brand through shaping public policy.

Prior to joining McDonald’s in 2009, Hilton was a successful lobbyist and attorney representing clients like the National Football League, American Legion, and Bombardier Aerospace. He has also worked closely with senior government leadership including holding a position on President Obama’s transition team in 2008 and serving as deputy assistant to the President/Chief of staff under President Clinton. He also served as a senior legislative assistant and later Judiciary Committee Chief Counsel for Senator Arlen Specter.

Hilton is a proud 25-year veteran, having achieved the rank of lieutenant colonel in the U.S. Army Reserve. President Clinton also appointed Hilton as a commissioner of the American Battle Monument Commission, which was responsible for the construction of the World War II, and the Korean War Memorials on the National Mall.

He is a graduate of Princeton University as well as the Army’s Command & General Staff College and he received his J.D. from Georgetown University Law School.