LOS ANGELES—The American Hotel & Lodging Association (AHLA) announced its 2019 Officers, Board of Directors, and Executive Committee, which includes top leaders representing all segments of the hospitality industry.
Notably, Geoff Ballotti, president and CEO of Wyndham Hotels & Resorts, was named chair of the board; Jon Bortz, chairman, president, and CEO of Pebblebrook Hotel Trust as vice chair; Justin Knight, president and CEO of Apple Hospitality REIT, joins the officer slate as secretary/treasurer; and Dave Johnson, president and CEO of Aimbridge Hospitality, will continue in his role as chair of the Board of Trustees. Ballotti succeeds Mark Carrier, president, B.F. Saul Company Hospitality Group, who has served as chair for the past two years and becomes immediate past chair.
“I’m honored to serve as chair of AHLA at such a pivotal and exciting time for our association and our industry as a whole,” said Ballotti. “The past year has been one of AHLA’s strongest yet, with a wave of momentum around our most important issues. I want to thank Mark Carrier for his outstanding leadership as AHLA chairman over the past two years as AHLA was out front positioning our industry around the critical jobs and career development we foster for our current workforce and aspiring young talented individuals who seek jobs in our dynamic industry through the work of our association and foundation. I’m excited to begin the next chapter for our industry, welcoming our incoming president and CEO Chip Rogers, and building on that momentum to achieve even more success in the future.”
Incoming AHLA President and CEO Chip Rogers addressed the AHLA Board of Directors during its January meeting. He officially took the helm of AHLA on January 28. At the meeting, Rogers noted the incredible momentum from AHLA in 2018 around advancing its policy agenda as well as improving member engagement, growing HotelPAC to record levels, strengthening its premier partnership program, and building out new, high-value events and thought leadership platforms.
“It is an honor to be joining AHLA and leading an association that makes such a positive difference for so many people,” said Rogers. “The lodging industry is truly remarkable, creating opportunities for millions of hardworking people and providing a home away from home for Americans and international visitors alike. AHLA represents the pinnacle trade association of the lodging industry, and the American Hotel and Lodging Foundation has advanced the education and careers of thousands of industry leaders. That’s due in no small part to the leadership of Katherine Lugar, the strong AHLA team and the commitment of the AHLA Officers, Board and Executive Committee as well as our Foundation Trustees. I look forward to building on Katherine’s legacy and working closely with our distinguished Board of Directors, Executive Committee and Trustees as we continue to move AHLA and our industry forward.”
The AHLA Board of Directors represents leaders from all sectors of the lodging industry, including brands, owners and real estate investment trusts (REITs), management companies, independent hotels, and state associations.
New members of the board appointed to two-year terms in 2019 include:
Owner Representatives
- Joe Berger, President & CEO, BRE Hotels & Resorts
- Krissy Gathright, Executive Vice President & Chief Operating Officer, Apple Hospitality REIT
- Sean Mahoney, Executive Vice President, Chief Financial Officer and Treasurer, RLJ Lodging Trust
- Mitch Patel, President & CEO, Vision Hospitality Group
- Steven Siegel, Partner and Chief Operating Officer, KSL Capital Partners, LLC
- Nate Tyrrell, Executive Vice President & Chief Investment Officer, Host Hotels & Resorts
Management Company Representatives
- Ted Darnall, CEO Lodging &Technical Services Companies, HEI Hotels
- Sloan Dean, COO, Remington Hotels
- Michael George, Founder, President, and CEO, Crescent Hotels & Resorts
- Thomas Penny, President, Donohoe Hospitality
Independent Representatives
- Jack Damioli, President & CEO, The Broadmoor
- John Tolbert, President/Managing Director, Boca Raton Resort & Club
Allied Representatives
- Reggie Aggarwal, Founder & CEO, Cvent
- Michael Leone, Chief Commercial Officer, PSAV
- Tammy Weinbaum, Executive Vice President-Global Client Group, Global Merchant Services, American Express Compay
At-Large Representatives
- Catherine Powell, President, Disney Parks Western Region, Disney Parks, Experiences and Consumer Products
- Kate Walsh, Dean and E.M. Statler Professor, School of Hotel Administration, Cornell SC Johnson College of Business
Additionally, AHLA welcomed four new members to its Executive Committee, which serves as the association’s core governance body and guides its policy agenda.
New Representatives on the Executive Committee
- Leslie Hale, CEO, RLJ Lodging Trust
- Walter Isenberg, President & CEO, Sage Hospitality
- Stephen Bartolin, Jr., Chairman of The Broadmoor and President of The Broadmoor-Sea Island Company
- Rob Palleschi, President & CEO, G6 Hospitality LLC
In addition, the AHLA Premier Partner Program offers industry vendors and suppliers the opportunity to engage directly with AHLA members at an executive level and increase brand visibility. AHLA’s 2019 Premier Partners are: American Express, Cvent, Hcareers a Virgil Company, PSAV, Sabre Hospitality Solutions, STR Inc. (Platinum); Avendra LLC, Brand USA, Ecolab (Gold); and Pearson (Silver).
Serving the hospitality industry for more than a century, the American Hotel & Lodging Association (AHLA) is the largest national association solely representing all segments of the eight million jobs the U.S. lodging industry supports, including brands, hotel owners, REITs, chains, franchisees, management companies, independent properties, bed and breakfasts, state hotel associations and industry suppliers. Headquartered in Washington, D.C., AHLA proudly represents a dynamic hotel industry of more than 54,000 properties that supports $1.1 trillion in U.S. sales and generates nearly $170 billion in taxes to local, state and federal governments.
