The American Hotel & Lodging Foundation has hired anti-human trafficking professional Eliza McCoy as VP of awareness and prevention programs. In this newly created position, McCoy expects to build on the momentum of the organization’s No Room for Trafficking campaign to train hotel employees to spot and stop trafficking.
“I’m thrilled to have Eliza join us at this critical time in our industry as travel begins to resume and anti-trafficking training of our employees is more important than ever,” AHLA Foundation President and CEO Rosanna Maietta said in a statement. “Eliza’s depth of experience will set us up for the next phase of our efforts to grow our training and member resources as well as build a support network for survivors through the creation of a fund and network of support.”
McCoy has worked in law enforcement, program-centered fundraising, communication and development for more than 15 years. Prior to joining the AHLA Foundation, she served as an executive director at the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children, where she led the organization’s transformation of outreach, training and prevention efforts. She also worked for the Center for Alexandria’s Children, helping expand the awareness and support of community-based programs to prevent and respond to child abuse.
She began her career as an investigator with the Manhattan District Attorney’s Office after graduating from the Westchester County Police Academy in 2007. Bilingual in Spanish, she holds a bachelor’s degree from Georgetown University and a master's degree from George Mason University.
At AHLA, McCoy will grow and expand the No Room for Trafficking Program, a national initiative that builds on the industry’s ongoing commitment and work to end human trafficking. Additionally, McCoy will lead an effort to build a survivor’s fund for human trafficking victims. The fund is slated to provide long-term support and economic stability for survivors while advancing training and education to prevent human trafficking in the lodging industry.