AH&LA Applauds Nomination of Pritzker for Commerce Secretary
Association also commends selection of Froman for Trade Representative
The American Hotel & Lodging Association (AH&LA) applauds President Barack Obama for his nomination of Penny S. Pritzker, chairman and CEO, PSP Capital Partners and Pritzker Realty Group, and co-founder and chairman, Artemis Real Estate Partners, to the be the 38th secretary of the United States Department of Commerce. The association also commends the nomination of Michael Froman, Assistant to the President and Deputy National Security Advisor...
The American Hotel & Lodging Association (AH&LA) applauds President Barack Obama for his nomination of Penny S. Pritzker, chairman and CEO, PSP Capital Partners and Pritzker Realty Group, and co-founder and chairman, Artemis Real Estate Partners, to the be the 38th secretary of the United States Department of Commerce. The association also commends the nomination of Michael Froman, Assistant to the President and Deputy National Security Advisor for International Economics, to be the next United States Trade Representative.
"Penny Pritzker will bring an outstanding perspective on the needs of American business to her role as Commerce Secretary," said Katherine Lugar, AH&LA president and CEO. "As a result of her family's creation of the Hyatt brand and her own investments of time and capital in the expansion and growth of the lodging industry, she brings particularly valuable insights on the issues of importance to hoteliers in this country.
"Along with her decades of business experience, she has also been an outstanding community advocate," Lugar continued, "from her work with public education to her leadership in the Skills for America's Future program, which prepares workers for the jobs of the 21st century."
In his current role, Michael Froman served as the Administration's principal negotiator for the completion of historic trade agreements with Korea, Colombia, and Panama, supporting over 70,000 jobs, and led the creation of the Interagency Trade Enforcement Center, a government agency which works to eliminate unfair trade practices and provide a level playing field for American workers.
"Travel and tourism is one of this country's top exports, with 27,000 new jobs and $3.2 billion in additional exports generated for every one million international visitors. Michael Froman's invaluable world perspective on issues impacting both the global economy and the workforce here in the United States will be crucial as we continue our efforts to market this country as a destination of choice."
"We urge the Senate to act swiftly on confirming Penny Pritzker and Michael Froman and look forward to working with both on initiatives that will promote job growth and a stronger, more competitive U.S. economy."
About the American Hotel & Lodging Association (AHLA)
The American Hotel & Lodging Association (AHLA) is the largest hotel association in America, representing more than 30,000 members from all segments of the industry nationwide – including iconic global brands, 80 percent of all franchised hotels, and the 16 largest hotel companies in the U.S. Headquartered in Washington, D.C., AHLA focuses on strategic advocacy, communications support, and workforce development programs to move the industry forward. Learn more at www.ahla.com.