Speaker: Ms. Katherine Lugar, President & Chief Executive Officer

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Katherine Lugar is president and chief executive officer of the American Hotel & Lodging Association (AHLA), the U.S. lodging industry’s largest trade association. In this role, she is responsible for setting AHLA’s strategic vision and championing the industry’s voice on Capitol Hill, within the Administration, in the press and beyond. During her tenure Lugar has transformed AHLA, building membership to a historic high, refocusing the organization’s core mission on advocacy and attaining record HotelPAC contributions. Katherine also oversees the American Hotel & Lodging Educational Foundation (AHLEF).

Prior to leading AHLA, Katherine served as executive vice president, public affairs, with the Retail Industry Leaders Association (RILA) where she ran several successful, high profile issue campaigns including the regulation of debit swipe fees (named by Politico as the highest profile fight on Capitol Hill), achieving a level playing field on tax issues with Amazon and defeating efforts by labor to advance punitive laws against the retail sector. Prior to RILA, Katherine led government relations for Travelers Insurance, served as vice president of legislative and political affairs at the National Retail Federation, and worked on Capitol Hill. She currently sits on the board of the U.S. Travel Association, the Bryce Harlow Foundation and the St. Baldrick’s pediatric cancer Foundation and is a member of the Chamber’s Committee of 100.