Erinn Horton
Erinn Horton is an accomplished leader with over 25 years of experience in corporate sales, primarily in the car rental industry. She built a distinguished career centered on relationship-building, client partnerships, and managing global accounts, earning multiple sales awards and recognition from industry organizations such as the Global Business Travel Association (GBTA). Drawing on her extensive corporate background, Erinn developed a reputation for strategic thinking, operational excellence, and cultivating high-performing teams. Approximately a year ago, Erinn transitioned from corporate leadership to the nonprofit sector, inspired by a desire to give back and create mission-driven impact, influenced by her mother’s lifelong commitment to volunteering. She now serves as the Director of Volunteer Engagement at Kids’ Meals, Inc., a Houston-based nonprofit addressing food insecurity among preschool-aged children. In this role, she manages all aspects of volunteer operations, including on-site shifts, off-site and corporate events, and relationships with volunteer partners. Under her leadership, volunteer participation increased over 43% in one year, supporting the organization’s mission to feed 11,000 children daily, with long-term goals to expand to 26,000 children by 2031. Beyond her operational responsibilities, Erinn is a passionate advocate for service, mentorship, and social impact. She is actively involved with several organizations such as BEAR (Be a Resource for CPS Kids) and Undies for Everyone, while also serving as a member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated. She mentors individuals both locally and internationally, applies corporate strategy principles to nonprofit growth, and promotes innovative approaches to volunteer engagement. Dedicated to addressing childhood food insecurity, Erinn combines professional expertise with personal values, using her platform to inspire others to give back meaningfully, while emphasizing gratitude, global awareness, and the power of transferable skills in creating lasting social change. Erinn is a graduate of Sam Houston State University with a degree in Business Management. She is a widowed mother of two daughters and resides in South Houston.
• Sales Negotiation
• Selling with Authenticity
• How to Set Goals When Everything Feels Like a Priority
• Identify Sales Growth Opportunities
• Learning LinkedIn Sales Navigator
• Selling with Empathy during Uncertain Times
• Asking Great Sales Questions
• Following Up after a Sales Meeting
• Inside Sales
• Virtual Selling for Sales Professionals
• Embracing Unexpected Change
• Sam Houston State University - BBA
• Lifetime Sales Achievement Award - Silver
• GBTA Texas - 2022 President's Award
• GBTA Texas Allied Member of the Year
• Lifetime Sales Achievement Award - Bronze
• GBTA Texas - Member of the Year Nominee
• Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc. - Pearland Chapter - New Soror of the Year Award
• Global Business Travel Association - Texas Chapter
• Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc.
• IAW - International Association of Women
• NAACP - Missouri City Chapter
• National Association of Professional Women
• TLOD, Inc.
• Habitat for Humanity International
• Susan G. Komen
• Alzheimer's Association®
• American Heart Association | American Stroke Association
• The Women's Home
• United Way of Greater Houston
• Military Order of the Purple Heart of the U.S.A., Inc.
• Kids' Meals, Inc.
• Ivy League Educational & Charities Foundation
• Pink and Green Charitable Foundation
What do you attribute your success to?
Leading with gratitude has been foundational to my success. By recognizing the people, opportunities, and lessons—especially in moments of challenge—I’ve built stronger relationships, earned trust, and stayed grounded in purpose. Gratitude has shaped how I lead, how I serve, and how I measure success, reminding me that meaningful impact is always a collective effort, never an individual one.
What’s the best career advice you’ve ever received?
The best career advice I ever received was this: be your own best cheerleader. Never depend on anyone else to advocate for you more than you advocate for yourself.
What advice would you give to young women entering your industry?
Lean in. Speak up even when your voice shakes, take up space, and don’t wait to be invited into the room—walk in ready to contribute.
What are the biggest challenges or opportunities in your field right now?
One of the biggest challenges in our field is that many people are still uneducated about the true magnitude of food insecurity—especially how deeply it impacts children, not just in Houston but across the country. Access to fresh, healthy food remains a significant issue in the U.S., and for far too many families, nutritious meals are not a given.
At the same time, this challenge presents a powerful opportunity: to educate, to advocate, and to mobilize communities. When people understand the scope of the problem, they want to help—and that awareness can drive meaningful change, stronger partnerships, and long-term solutions.
What values are most important to you in your work and personal life?
Gratitude is the value I live by. It reminds me to lead with humility, celebrate people, and stay focused on impact rather than recognition.