Visit Jackson Welcomes House and Alford to Board of Directors

Visit Jackson, the official destination leadership organization for the city of Jackson, welcomes Patrick House, General Manager of The Westin Jackson and the return of Mende Malouf Alford, owner of the Old Capitol Inn, to the Board of Directors. This is Malouf’s second stint on the board. They will both represent the hotel community. One seat on the board remains vacant.

House of The Westin Jackson, and Alford of the Old Capitol Inn will both represent the hotel community.

Patrick House, The Westin Jackson

Patrick House, an integral part of The Westin Jackson, leads the sales and hotel teams of The Westin with 15 years of hospitality experience. House served as Director of Sales and Marketing when he joined the team in February 2021. He led the sales team to surpass the budgeted revenue by over $780,000. He also negotiated multi-year contracts for the hotel, resulting in six million dollars of revenue before being named General Manager in August of 2023.

House is often recognized from his win on Season 10 of NBC’s top-rated reality television show “The Biggest Loser.” After winning, he established “Changing History Promotions”, which provides motivational speaking opportunities to corporations, associations, and private entities. He has worked with the state of Mississippi to raise awareness of childhood obesity and developed a school-based wellness program, promoting positive social interaction and a healthy lifestyle.

A graduate of Delta State University in Cleveland, MS, House earned a bachelor's degree in business administration with a concentration in Business Management and Marketing. In his free time, Patrick can be found on the golf course or spending time with his wife, Katie, and children, Colton, Caden, and Keslyn.

Mende Malouf Alford, Old Capitol Inn

For over 25 years, Mende Malouf Alford has not only served as owner and manager of the Old Capitol Inn but as a well-known welcomer to the city of Jackson. Helping rebuild the historic property from the ground up, Alford has made the Old Capitol Inn a gem in the crown of downtown, regularly hosting celebrities, politicians, and more to stay and savor everything the city has to offer. She lives in Jackson and attends Saint Richard Catholic Church with her three beautiful girls Reina, Hala and Truus.

The Inn also serves as a destination for weddings, with its beautiful courtyard and a rooftop overlooking the State Capitol Building. It's those moments of hosting and being a part of locals' life events where Alford feels the impact of what the hotel means to the Jackson community.

Like many others in Jackson's hospitality industry, Alford wholeheartedly believes in the power of the city's people, their friendliness, and their willingness to lift each other up.

The Visit Jackson Board of Directors plays a crucial role in shaping the organization's strategic direction and ensuring its success in promoting tourism and economic development for the city of Jackson. Their responsibilities encompass several key areas including governance and oversight, organizational leadership, industry expertise and advocacy, community engagement and collaboration. Overall, the board ensures the organization’s effectiveness, accountability and responsiveness to the needs of the community it serves.

About Visit Jackson

Visit Jackson is the official destination organization for the city of Jackson. The bureau serves Jackson by positively impacting the city’s economy through recruitment and procurement of meetings and tourism activities. Created in 1983, Visit Jackson acts as a quasi-independent government agency reauthorized by the state legislature and governed by an independently appointed board of directors with members representing the hotel, restaurant, attraction, art, and education sectors.