AH&LA Executive Vice President For Public Policy Departs To Pursue Political And Lobbying Endeavors

“Jack has been a great asset to AH&LA and the entire lodging industry,” noted McInerney. “During his more than eight years with the association, he has been central in making AH&LA the lodging industry’s most powerful voice on Capitol Hill and has helped ensure passage of numerous pieces of federal legislation that have been essential to our industry’s continued success.”

Soon after joining the association, Connors worked to create AH&LA’s annual Legislative Action Summit, which has become the lodging industry’s largest and best known national conference on federal public policy issues. He also redesigned the association’s legislative communications efforts to include Governmental Affairs Advisories, Alerts, and Calls to Action, as well as monthly articles in Lodging magazine, to keep AH&LA members informed of the association’s political activities.

Connors was the architect and driving force behind the HotelPAC Hospitality Golf Tour, which dramatically increased contributions to HotelPAC, making it the lodging industry’s largest and most influential federal political action committee.

“It has been a pleasure to serve AH&LA and the lodging industry over the past eight-plus years; however, it is the right time for me to engage in several new endeavors,” said Connors. “Fortunately, AH&LA has a very capable governmental affairs team that will carry the association’s mission forward and ensure a smooth transition with AH&LA’s many relationships with Members of Congress and their staffs.”

Prior to joining AH&LA, Connors – who has been consistently ranked by Influence, a Washington-based publication on lobbying and public policy advocacy, as one of Washington’s top trade association lobbyists – served as the deputy general counsel for political affairs of the Republican National Committee, chief counsel of the 1992 Republican National Convention, and senior advisor to numerous political campaigns at the federal level.

Connors will continue his strong relationship with the lodging industry as a consultant, will work with a top-five Washington lobbying firm, will serve as a senior advisor to several political campaigns (including that of a potential presidential nominee), and plans to expand his involvement with the Fisher House at Walter Reed Army Medical Center, which provides temporary housing to military families whose loved ones are recovering from severe wounds inflicted in Afghanistan and Iraq.


AH&LA is a 95-year-old dual membership association of state and city partner lodging associations throughout the United States with some 10,000 property members nationwide, representing more than 1.4 million guest rooms. Headquartered in Washington, D.C., it provides members with advocacy on Capitol Hill, public relations and image management, education, research and information, and other services to ensure a positive business climate for the U.S. lodging industry. Individual state associations provide representation at the state level and offer many additional cost-saving benefits.





Logos, product and company names mentioned are the property of their respective owners.

Reader Comments:

Be the first to leave a comment for this article

Tweet