The Dallas Regional Chamber (DRC), which serves as the voice of business and a champion of economic development and growth in the Dallas region, has named Latosha (Tosha) Herron-Bruff as its first senior vice president for community engagement.

The creation of the position follows the news in June that the DRC formed a permanent Board-level Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Council. It has since launched a search for an SVP of DEI, another senior position that the DRC expects to soon fill.

“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,” DRC President and CEO Dale Petroskey said in a statement.

That’s where Herron-Bruff and her new role comes in.

Per a news release, Herron-Bruff will be tasked with building on the chamber’s years-long efforts to grow and promote underserved areas, like Southern Dallas, as attractive places to live, work, and do business.

She will work with the DRC’s team to engage on key elements of its strategic plan. That includes Economic Development, Education and Workforce, Public Policy, and DEI.

“I am excited to join the DRC team to do this important work in our community, a community I love,” Herron-Bruff said in a statement. “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.”

Herron-Bruff is a Dallasite through and through as a native to Dallas and a graduate of the University of North Texas.

She brings more than two decades of experience in championing marginalized communities, according to the DRC, which includes 10-plus years at Habitat for Humanity. Most recently, she was 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,” Petroskey said.  “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.”

The DRC recently updated its mission statement to add the phrase “for all people.”

As the largest chamber in North Texas, it aims to make the Dallas region “the best place in the United States for all people to live, work, and do business.”

It does so by collaborating with member companies and regional partners to advocate for pro-growth public policies, improve the local educational system, attract talented workers, and enhance the quality of life for everyone.

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