WASHINGTON–The American Hotel & Lodging Association (AHLA) announced the appointment of Bill McQuillen as vice president of communications. McQuillen is a veteran public affairs and communications official, having worked with Fortune 500 companies on crisis and public affairs issues and previously as a financial journalist, most recently focusing on labor, trade, and legal affairs.
“I’m thrilled to have Bill join our growing communications team as we advance our communications and advocacy efforts on behalf of this dynamic industry,” said Rosanna Maietta, senior vice president of communications and public relations at AHLA. “Bill’s experience as both a reporter and in corporate relations will be critical as we look to deepen relationships and move policy issues forward in Washington and throughout the country.”
Reporting to Maietta, McQuillen will drive AHLA’s messaging and media relations efforts, closely collaborating with the government affairs team to drive key policy priorities for the hotel industry, including workforce and distribution issues, and, importantly, promoting the industry’s focus on workforce development programs that advance the careers of employees.
“This is an exciting time to join the AHLA team, which is at the center of important policy debates that impact so many people across the country,” McQuillen said. “AHLA has put together an incredibly talented and dedicated team, and I’m excited to be a part of it as we build on AHLA’s successes and continue moving the industry forward.”
McQuillen joins AHLA from global public relations firm Burson-Marsteller, where he served as senior director of public affairs and crisis and worked with a variety of companies, foreign governments, and other interests on crisis and reputation issues, as well as extensive media training. Prior to that, he spent 15 years at Bloomberg News, where in addition to labor, trade, and legal affairs, he also covered international economics, the 9/11 terrorism investigations, and the 2004 presidential election. Bill received his undergraduate degree from the Catholic University of America and a masters from Georgetown University Law Center.
