Brett Horton appointed Chief Advocacy Officer at AHLA

Rosanna Maietta, President & CEO of the American Hotel & Lodging Association (AHLA), today announced the appointment of Brett Horton as Chief Advocacy Officer. For the past decade, Horton has served as Chief of Staff to U.S. House of Representatives Majority Leader Steve Scalise (R-LA). In this newly created role, he will oversee AHLA’s comprehensive advocacy, political engagement, and government affairs strategies to advance the hotel industry’s priorities at the federal, state, and local levels.

AHLA is the leading voice representing all segments of the hotel industry, including iconic hotel brands, franchised hotels, owners, management companies, vendors, and suppliers.

A notable expansion of AHLA’s commitment to advocacy, Horton will lead AHLA’s direct lobbying efforts, PAC strategy, grassroots engagement, coalition building, and issue advocacy campaigns. He will officially join AHLA on December 1, 2025.

Horton joins a powerhouse advocacy team, including Chirag Shah (Executive Vice President and General Counsel, Policy, Regulatory, & Legal), Troy Flanagan (Executive Vice President, External Government Affairs and Industry Relations), Marilou Halvorsen (Senior Vice President, State and Local Government Affairs and Industry Relations), and Matt Carrier (Senior Vice President, Federal Government Affairs).

AHLA is dedicated to advancing the legislative and regulatory priorities of the hotel industry, including measures that address workforce challenges, foster a favorable operating environment for small business owners, support the franchise business model, and drive increased travel demand.