Summary:
- AHLA named Marriott’s Liam Brown chair for 2026.
- D.J. Rama, Auro Hotels CEO, joins the board.
- Hilton’s Anu Saxena serving second term as AHLA Foundation board chair.
LIAM BROWN, MARRIOTT International group president for U.S. and Canada, is the new chairman of the American Hotel & Lodging Association for 2026. He succeeds Mitch Patel, founder and CEO of Vision Hospitality Group.
Anu Saxena, president and global head of Hilton Supply Management, will serve a second term as chair of the AHLA Foundation board of trustees, AHLA said in a statement.
Patel will continue on the board as past chair, AHLA said in a statement. Thom Geshay, Davidson Hospitality president and CEO, will serve as vice chair, while Jon Stanner, Summit Hotel Properties president and CEO, will serve for the year. Jon Bortz, Pebblebrook Hotel Trust chairman and CEO, will continue as chair of the HotelPAC Advisory Council.
D.J. Rama, Auro Hotels CEO, will serve on the board.
“With the U.S. on the cusp of hosting a ‘mega decade’ of global events, it’s more important than ever for America’s hotel industry to showcase the best of American hospitality as we prepare to welcome the world,” said Rosanna Maietta, AHLA president and CEO. “AHLA’s 2026 board is poised to guide those efforts. I’m confident this group of hospitality leaders will provide clear direction as we support more than two million employees and strengthen communities nationwide.”
Brown announced his retirement from Marriott effective June 2026 after nearly four decades with the company, the statement said. He will step down as AHLA board chair at that time and Geshay will assume the role under AHLA bylaws.
Brown said AHLA has worked to tell the industry’s story, showing policymakers and the public the role hotels play in communities and the economy locally and nationwide.
“I look forward to working with the AHLA team and the board of directors to build on the momentum started by Mitch Patel, further strengthening the relationship between owners and brands so that together, we continue to underscore that hotels are where the American dream can become a reality,” he said. “My own career is proof of that. The hotel industry is an incredible place to build a career.”
AHLA’s officers, executive committee and board of directors include leaders from across the lodging industry, including brands, owners, management companies, branded and independent hotels, service providers, suppliers, and associations. In addition to Brown, Geshay and Stanner, the executive committee includes Bill Elliott, Wisconsin Hotel & Lodging Association president and CEO and Jeff Horwitz, Proskauer senior partner.
AHLA board members include:
- Plato Ginos, Shaner Hotel Group president
- Amanda Hite, STR president and CEO
- Lisa Lombardo, ARK Holdings president
- Rob Mangiarelli, Atrium Hospitality CEO
- Wendy Mertz, Virgin Hotels CIO
- Lyndsay Monge, Peachtree Group EVP, asset management
- Ben Perelmuter, Remington Hospitality CEO
- Ben Rafter, Hotel Equities CEO
- Ryan Rivett, My Place Hotels president and CEO
- Sarah Beth Urban, Tennessee Hospitality & Tourism Association president and CEO
- Eva Wassermann, GEM Realty Capital senior managing director, acquisitions
In December, the AHLA Foundation testified before the Congressional Task Force on Enhancing Security for Special Events, highlighting the lodging industry’s anti-human trafficking efforts ahead of major global events drawing international visitors to the U.S.
