Fritzi Woods, president and CEO of the Women’s Foodservice Forum (WFF), died unexpectedly today in Dallas.

“All of us at the Women’s Foodservice Forum are heartbroken over the loss of our dear friend and leader Fritzi Woods,” says Laurie Burns, WFF Chair and Darden Restaurants SVP, Specialty Restaurant Group Strategic Platform & Development. “She was an inspirational leader and mentor and a powerful voice for growing the opportunities available to women in the foodservice industry. We will miss her immensely.”

Woods was an influential regional and national business woman. For the past three years she led the Women’s Foodservice Forum, the largest leadership development company in the foodservice industry. Woods and the WFF worked with the country’s largest foodservice organizations advocating for women’s leadership development. More recently she began working with the Obama administration to advocate for policies promoting gender-balanced executive teams. Woods served as a board member for several organizations, including Jamba Juice, Ignite Restaurant Group, National Restaurant Association, BUCA, and Lone Star New Market.

At this time there is no further information available about Woods’ death or funeral arrangements.