Rosanna Maietta, president & CEO of the American Hotel & Lodging Association (AHLA), 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.

“I am thrilled to welcome Brett to the AHLA team. He is an experienced policy leader with deep political insight and a proven record of working at the highest levels of government navigating Congress and the Administration.” said AHLA president and CEO Rosanna Maietta. “Brett joins a strong team of federal, state and local government affairs professionals laser-focused on advancing policies that strengthen and support the hotel industry. I am confident he will make an immediate and meaningful contribution towards these efforts.”

“There are few people that know Capitol Hill better than Brett Horton,” said Majority Leader Scalise. “For 15 years he has been by my side, starting as my Counsel in 2010, and working his way up the ranks, spending the last ten years as my chief of staff in my Whip and Leader offices. To me and countless other Members of Congress and their staff, Brett is a trusted advisor, steady in his approach, wise in his counsel and deliberate with his words. Brett has been instrumental in every major policy victory of the last decade and I am so incredibly thankful to him for his years of dedication and service to our country and the House of Representatives. I know he will be an incredible asset to the hotel industry.”

“The hotel industry is a key driver of the economy that supports millions of workers and tens of thousands of small business owners nationwide,” said Horton. “From my tenure on Capitol Hill, I know that AHLA is a premier advocacy organization with a best-in-class team of government affairs professionals. I am honored to join them and get to work on behalf of this incredible industry.”

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.

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