# Leslie Hale

> Leslie D. Hale is president and CEO of RLJ Lodging Trust and chair of Howard University’s board of trustees. Raised in Los Angeles around her parents’ daycare business, she studied at Howard and Harvard Business School, worked at GE and Goldman Sachs, and joined RLJ in 2005. Her 2018 appointment made her the first African American woman to lead a publicly traded real estate investment trust.

- **Role:** President and Chief Executive Officer at RLJ Lodging Trust
- **Organizations:** RLJ Lodging Trust, Howard University, Delta Air Lines, Federal Reserve Bank of Richmond, Baltimore Branch, American Hotel & Lodging Association, GE (former), Goldman Sachs (former), Macy’s (former director)
- **Education:** BBA, summa cum laude, Howard University, MBA; Goldman Sachs and Toigo Fellow, Harvard Business School
- **Known for:** First African American woman to lead a publicly traded REIT, appointed in 2018., Helped lead RLJ’s 2011 IPO and 2017 FelCor merger., Received the AHLA Foundation’s Castell Award in 2022.

## Career timeline

- **1994** — Graduated from Howard University.
- **2005** — Joined RLJ as director of real estate and finance.
- **2007** — Became CFO of RLJ Development.
- **2011** — Helped lead RLJ Lodging Trust’s IPO.
- **2013** — Joined Howard’s board of trustees.
- **2016** — Appointed RLJ chief operating officer.
- **2017** — Helped execute the FelCor merger.
- **2018** — Became RLJ president and CEO in August.
- **2021** — Became Howard board vice chair.
- **2022** — Joined Delta Air Lines’ board in April.
- **2023** — Served as AHLA board chair.
- **2025** — Became Howard board chair effective June 6.

## Achievements

- First African American woman to lead a publicly traded REIT, appointed in 2018.
- Helped lead RLJ’s 2011 IPO and 2017 FelCor merger.
- Received the AHLA Foundation’s Castell Award in 2022.
- Elected chair of Howard University’s board of trustees in 2025.

## Latest updates

- **2026-03** — Featured in Kristin Peck’s On Purpose conversation about her career and giving back.
- **2025-10** — Addressed Howard business students on career preparation and mentoring; university coverage published October 30.
- **2025-06** — Began her term as Howard University board chair on June 6; appointment announced August 6.

## Links

- Website: https://www.rljlodgingtrust.com/
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lesliedhale

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Profile page: https://yespress.io/leslie-hale
Published by YesPress — https://yespress.io
Last updated: 2026-10-24