Senior Vice President, Member Engagement

Cecilia Villa is Senior Vice President of Membership and Leadership Programs at the Dallas Regional Chamber (DRC), which has been recognized as National Chamber of the Year. In her role, Villa leads the membership engagement team, serving more than 700 members and regional partners in strategic alignment with the DRC’s priority areas. Under her leadership, the team is focused on delivering a high-impact, superior experience to member companies. The membership engagement team works closely with the office of the CEO and collaborative partners to design meaningful DRC experiences through board relationship management, event activation and sponsorships, and curated initiatives.

Villa oversees the DRC Leadership Programs and Executive Engagement, including the region’s premier flagship Leadership Dallas program, Leadership Dallas Alumni, Lead YP, and Young Professionals.

Before joining the DRC in March 2024, Villa spent 25 years dedicated to development, fundraising, and partnerships in healthcare philanthropy. Her early career began as a fundraising representative for St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital in the Dallas regional office while covering seven states. She spent more than two decades at St. Jude headquarters serving in management roles, leading multiple revenue teams, building innovative partnerships, developing national and international programs, and raising awareness and funds to find cures and provide treatment for children with cancer.

Villa is a proud graduate of Northwestern University’s Kellogg School of Management. Through her Executive MBA program, her experience included executive-level business courses and study abroad programs in Hong Kong, Germany, and Latin America. Her social impact team was a finalist representing Northwestern University at the University of Oxford, U.K./Skoll Foundation competition. Villa resides in Dallas and loves being back home in North Texas with her two puppies after a vibrant trek around the world.