Amanda Stone was named as the New Jersey Restaurant & Hospitality Association‘s new director of government affairs. In this position, she will work directly with NJRHA CEO and President Dana Lancellotti to advocate for policies that support and protect the critical needs of the state’s hospitality industry sectors.
“Amanda is looking forward to returning to the State House, where we know she will further strengthen the New Jersey Restaurant & Hospitality Association’s advocacy efforts on behalf of our members, while staying ahead of the ever-changing landscape our business owners and operators face today,” Lancellotti said.
Stone has spent the majority of her career in public service, starting in 2014 as the legislative director for former New Jersey Assemblyman and Conference Leader Dave Rible. In this role, she coordinated legislative initiatives and assisted with his work on the Assembly Education and Law and Public Safety committees.
Following her work with Rible, Stone served as a communications coordinator and speechwriter for former New Jersey Lt. Gov. Kim Guadagno, and later became the confidential aide to Monmouth County Commissioner Director Tom Arnone.
From there, Monmouth County secured Stone as its director of tourism, where she spearheaded a renewed effort across digital and traditional media platforms and vigorous marketing campaigns to elevate Monmouth County’s $2.5 billion impact as a premier tourism destination. While in this role, Stone was also responsible for the county’s Destination Marketing Organization Grant, which required that she manage, oversee and continue to secure their large tourism marketing grant from the Department of State’s Division of Travel and Tourism.
“It was her experience in government, grant writing, marketing and journalism that really solidified Amanda as a stellar candidate to fill this role,” Lancellotti said. “When combining those skills with her direct experience with the legislative process and her attention to detail and research, Amanda is a perfect fit for our association.”
