Karen Bremer, executive director of the Georgia Restaurant Association (GRA), was elected to serve on the board of directors for the National Restaurant Association (NRA). The NRA is governed by a volunteer board of directors and led in Washington, D.C. by a president and chief executive officer. On average, the board consists of 90 to 95 directors from across the country who represent every facet of the restaurant industry.

With over 35 years in the hospitality industry, Bremer is a founding member of the GRA and the past president of the GRA Board. She serves on the board of directors for the Atlanta Convention & Visitors Bureau (ACVB), the DeKalb Convention & Visitors Bureau and the Council of State Restaurant Associations. She also sits on the Industry Advisory Board of Georgia State University's Cecil B. Day School of Hospitality Administration and is a trustee of the Arby’s Foundation. She has also been inducted to Les Dames d'Escoffier International and the International Women's Forum. Bremer was the former owner of Dailey’s and City Grill restaurants and was a top executive with the Peasant Restaurant Group, starting out as a manager and ultimately being named its president.

Bremer has garnered numerous awards including the ACVB Member of the Year Award in 2002 for her role in founding Downtown Atlanta Restaurant Week. In 2009, Bremer received the Lifetime Achievement GRACE (Georgia Restaurant Association Crystal of Excellence) Award for her outstanding contributions to Georgia's restaurant industry. Bremer has also been listed as a notable Georgian by Georgia Trend Magazine in 2013, 2014 and 2015.