WASHINGTON—The American Hotel & Lodging Association (AH&LA) has appointed Matthew MacLaren as SVP of member relations.
In this new role, MacLaren will oversee membership, partner state association relations, allied partnership and legal issues.
MacLaren, who will join the association on November 1, comes to AH&LA from the Ohio Hotel & Lodging Association (OH&LA), where he served as president and CEO. In this role, he was responsible for providing strategic direction, management and oversight of all departments. Prior to joining OH&LA, in 2004, MacLaren worked as communications director for the Ohio Council of Retail Merchants.
A native of Akron, MacLaren is a graduate of The Ohio State University where he studied political science and business, and a graduate of Capital University Law School. He earned his Juris Doctor degree in December 2005 and received his license to practice law in Ohio in May 2006.
Additionally, new executive staff changes were also announced at AH&LA and the American Hotel & Lodging Educational Institute (AHLEI). Joori Jeon will take on a new role, adding to her current responsibilities as AH&LA’s chief financial officer and president and COO of the American Hotel and Lodging Educational Foundation, now serving as CEO of AH&LA’s Educational Institute (AHLEI).
In addition, Kimberly Miles has also moved up from head of industry relations to the AH&LA executive team as senior vice president, operations. In this new, expanded role, Miles will oversee operations and other member services as well as help oversee the association’s strategic plan to ensure the organization is best positioned for the future. She will continue to oversee the management and growth of industry conferences, meetings and events, as well as the development and focus of councils for each segment of AH&LA’s membership, and the future strategic direction of AH&LA’s committees.