Travelport has hired Kelly Kolb as vice president of government affairs to lead Travelport’s Washington office.

Kolb joins Travelport after serving the past seven years as vice president of government affairs for the Retail Industry Leaders Association (RILA), where she was RILA’s lead lobbyist and media spokesperson on transportation and workforce issues.

Prior to joining RILA, Kolb held positions on Capitol Hill, the Executive Branch, and on political campaigns. She is a former Acting Assistant Secretary for Government Affairs at the U.S. Department of Transportation, a position she held after serving as the Deputy Assistant Secretary. In this position, she advised the Secretary of Transportation on all federal, state, and local matters and was responsible for developing and advancing the department’s governmental affairs strategy. Kolb began her career working on Capitol Hill for Senators George Allen (R-V.A.) and John Ashcroft (R-M.O.). She also served on President George W. Bush’s 2004 re-election campaign, as well as the President’s Inaugural Committee.

“We are pleased to welcome Kelly to head up Travelport’s government affairs office in Washington,” said Dirk Vande Beek, Travelport’s senior vice president of government affairs. “Kelly is an accomplished government affairs and public policy professional with a great understanding of business issues. She is the perfect choice to help Travelport engage constructively with government officials on Travelport’s long-established global distribution and travel booking capabilities, as well as on Travelport’s innovative digital and merchandising services.”