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Speakers

Adis María Vila, JD, MBA
Adis María Vila, JD, MBA
First Chief Diversity Officer
US Air Force Academy (Ret.)

Over a thirty-year career, Adis Vila has held c-level positions in the business, government, and higher education sectors and has been involved with general management, business development, policy development and implementation, diversity and inclusion, and government, public, and regulatory affairs. She has been a professor of international law and international business, corporate executive, government official, academic administrator, and practicing attorney. In addition to these accomplishments, Vila was also the first Chief Diversity Officer at the U.S. Air Force Academy.

Vila was confirmed by the US Senate for roles as Assistant Secretary of Administration at the US Department of Agriculture (COO), a department with more than 2500 employees and a budget larger than $750 million, which she led through 12 direct reports most of whom were at the highest level of the career service. She was confirmed by the Florida Senate as Agency Head (CEO; Secretary) of Florida’s Department of Administration, a department with a budget of $750 million and 500 employees. Vila began her government service as a White House Fellow, one of America's most prestigious programs for leadership and public service.

Vila held c-level jobs with multinationals in the telecommunications and chemicals industries including as Vice-President of Government Affairs and Regulatory Policy for the Caribbean and Latin American Division of Nortel Networks and Vice President for International Business Development for Vigoro since acquired by IMC Global, Inc.

Multilingual and multicultural, Vila holds the highest corporate governance designation from the National Association of Corporate Directors (NACD Board Leadership Fellow). She is a former member of the Board of Directors of the Rural Telephone Bank and of the UBS Global Asset Management Advisory Board.

Vila is a member of The Florida Bar and the Washington DC Bar, the Council on Foreign Relations, Women Corporate Directors, Latino Corporate Directors Association, and the International Women’s Forum. She earned a law degree from the Levin College of Law at the University of Florida, a Diplôme in International Law from the Graduate Institute of International and Development Studies (Geneva, Switzerland), an MBA from the University of Chicago Booth School of Business, and a BA in Mathematics from Rollins College.

A Certified Diversity Executive, Vila is a frequent speaker on leadership, organizational culture, cross-cultural management, and diversity and inclusion. She is a highly regarded experienced speaker able to engage audiences of all types.

Vila has been recognized by the University of Akron with its “Woman Trailblazer” Award, by the Girl Scouts of Colorado with its “Women of Distinction” Award, and by the Delta Sigma Theta’s Dorothy Height “Hats Off to You” Award. Vila’s work at USAFA was recognized with the Higher Education Excellence in Diversity (HEED) Award by INSIGHTS into Diversity, and the “Dare to Dream Award” by the Colorado Springs Diversity Forum. The Ambassadors of Inclusion program she designed was recognized with The Diversity Journal’s INNOVATION Award.

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