AHLA Promotes Prominent Leaders in the Industry to High Positions

The American Hotel & Lodging Association (AHLA) announced the promotion of two accomplished leaders with extensive experience in the hotel industry.

Troy Flanagan has been appointed as the Executive Vice President of External Government Affairs and Industry Relations at AHLA. In his new position, Flanagan will serve as a strategic head of AHLA’s comprehensive outreach to public officials and will reinforce the association’s alliances with affiliated groups. Additionally, he will oversee AHLA’s interaction and advocacy with related organizations, state and local governments, legislatures, and gubernatorial offices.

Flanagan became a part of AHLA in 2014, and before his recent promotion, he held the position of Senior Vice President of Government Affairs & Industry Relations. During his tenure, he played a crucial role in securing various legislative victories for hoteliers, such as the implementation of laws safeguarding them against arduous labor mandate ordinances, and legislation that ensured fair competition between hotels and short-term rentals in multiple states and localities.

Chirag Shah has been promoted to the position of Executive Vice President of Federal and Political Affairs & Counsel at AHLA. As a part of this role, Shah will lead AHLA’s lobbying activities, political affairs, and advocacy priorities. He will supervise the federal lobbying and political affairs teams, with an emphasis on congressional relations, regulatory matters, and political engagement.

Shah, with ten years of experience in the industry, formerly held the position of Senior Vice President of Federal Affairs & Policy Counsel at AHLA. Throughout his career, he has contributed significantly to securing crucial wins for hoteliers in various areas, such as workforce and labor relations, tax reform, prevention of human trafficking, relief from exploitative litigation, and obtaining economic stimulus as a response to the COVID-19 crisis.

The recently announced promotions are indicative of AHLA’s ongoing expansion and its growing team that has played a pivotal role in representing the hotel industry, particularly during the COVID-19 pandemic. Over the past two years, AHLA’s staff has increased from 44 to almost 70 employees, underscoring its commitment to being the authoritative voice of hotels in the United States. The organization remains extensively involved in policy matters that impact hoteliers at every level of government.

“Troy and Chirag aren’t just exemplary employees, they are hotel industry leaders,” said AHLA President & CEO Chip Rogers. “I am proud to announce their well-deserved promotions and confident they will continue building on their substantial legacy of accomplishments for our industry in their new roles.”