Marilou Halvorsen

 American Hotel & Lodging Association’s Marilou Halvorsen serves as Senior Vice President of Government Affairs & Industry Relations, where she leads the association’s nationwide state and local government affairs strategy. In this role, she oversees AHLA’s government affairs team, consultants, and stakeholder engagement efforts across the country, while managing relationships with city and state lodging association partners.

Prior to joining AHLA, Halvorsen served as President & CEO of the New Jersey Restaurant & Hospitality Association, representing more than 27,000 hospitality establishments statewide that generated approximately $17 billion in annual sales and employed more than 320,000 people.

Earlier in her career, Halvorsen was Director of Marketing for Jenkinson's Boardwalk and Casino Pier, two of New Jersey’s premier seaside destinations. She has held leadership positions on numerous tourism and hospitality boards and committees, including the New Jersey Travel Industry Association and the Jersey Shore Convention and Visitors Bureau, and previously served as Chair of the Governor’s Tourism Conference.

Appointed by three New Jersey governors, Halvorsen became the first woman Commissioner of the Legalized Games of Chance Control Commission and later served as Chair of the Commission for seven years. In 2015, she was recognized by NJBIZ as one of the state’s Top 50 Most Influential Businesswomen.

In 2020, Halvorsen was elected President of the Council of State Restaurant Associations and joined the board of the National Restaurant Association Educational Foundation. That same year, she received the NRAEF Chairman’s Award in recognition of her leadership and longstanding contributions to the hospitality industry