The Dallas Regional Chamber (DRC) announced today that Latosha (Tosha) Herron-Bruff will become its first-ever Senior Vice President for Community Engagement on Thursday, October 1.
Ms. Herron-Bruff, a Dallas native and graduate of the University of North Texas, brings to the DRC, the largest Chamber in North Texas, more than 20 years of experience championing a variety of marginalized communities, including more than a decade working in key roles for Habitat for Humanity. Most recently, she served as Habitat’s Vice President of Government and Public Affairs.
“Tosha has earned a great reputation in the community as someone who has a real heart for people and for rolling up her sleeves and working with community leaders and public officials to make life better for the entire community,” said DRC President and CEO Dale Petroskey. “She will be an important new pair of eyes and ears for us in various communities, keeping us informed of the needs of the communities, and letting the communities know of all the work the DRC is doing in the area of racial equity.”
Ms. Herron-Bruff will work with her new colleagues to engage on the key elements of the DRC’s strategic plan – Economic Development; Education and Workforce; Public Policy; and Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI).
This new position was created shortly after the DRC formed a permanent Board-level DEI Council in June and launched its search for a Senior Vice President for DEI, another senior position expected to be filled soon.
“During the search process for a Senior Vice President for DEI we realized we had a gap – we needed a strong full-time advocate with deep community ties to partner with the Senior Vice President for DEI, our Board, and everyone on the DRC team to make the Dallas Region more inclusive and equitable,” said Petroskey.
Ms. Herron-Bruff will build on the DRC’s years-long efforts to grow and promote underserved areas, such as Southern Dallas, as attractive places for people to live, work, and do business.
“I am excited to join the DRC team to do this important work in our community, a community I love,” Ms. Herron-Bruff said. “I am excited about the DRC’s commitment to racial equity and inclusion. We will set our sights high, and hold ourselves accountable for meeting our goals.”
The DRC also recently updated its mission statement, adding the phrase “for all people” to highlight the importance of making the Dallas Region “the best place in the United States for all people to live, work, and do business.”
In June, nearly 100 DRC Board members and other executives signed “A Commitment from Dallas Business Leaders,” a detailed pledge to work every day in every way to build a more inclusive community. It was published as a full-page message in the The Dallas Morning News.