Texas Border Business
Mercedes, TX – Valley Initiative for Development and Advancement (VIDA) President & CEO, Felida Villarreal was named a Finalist in the Female Executive of the Year – Government or Non-Profit –11 to 2,500 Employees category in the 19th annual Stevie® Awards for Women in Business, and will ultimately be a Gold, Silver, or Bronze Stevie Award winner in the program.
The Stevie Awards for Women in Business honor women executives, entrepreneurs, employees and the companies they run – worldwide. The Stevie Awards have been hailed as the world’s premier business awards.
Gold, Silver, and Bronze Stevie Award winners will be announced during a gala event at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas on Friday, November 11. Nominated women executives and entrepreneurs from the U.S.A and several other countries are expected to attend. The event will be broadcast on Livestream.
At the young age of 20 years old, Felida received her Bachelor of Business Administration with a major in accounting from the University of Texas Pan American. She then went on to complete her Master of Accountancy from the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley and currently holds her CPA license from the Texas State Board of Public Accountancy. With over 8 years of financial management experience, she is proactively involved in keeping up to date with everchanging accounting policy and regulations. As an innovative millennial and advocate of equitable education opportunities, Felida has utilized her financial background to build effective resource development strategies and expand public funding opportunities for VIDA, as the youngest President & CEO of the non-profit organization in VIDA’s history.
Finalists were determined by the average scores of more than 200 business professionals around the world, working on seven juries. Their scores will also determine the Gold, Silver, and Bronze Stevie Award placements that will be revealed at the 19th annual awards dinner and presentations in Las Vegas.
“In its 19th year, the Stevie Awards for Women in Business received a remarkable collection of outstanding nominations,” said Maggie Miller, president of the Stevie Awards. “We’re looking forward to recognizing the Stevie Award winners in Las Vegas in November.”
“I am truly honored and humbled to be recognized as a finalist by the Stevie Awards for Women in Business. I am incredibly grateful to my team at VIDA for their dedication and commitment to improve education outcomes and promote workforce development across our region to achieve social mobility among our underserved demographic,” said Felida Villarreal.
Details about the Stevie Awards for Women in Business and the list of Finalists in all categories are available at www.StevieAwards.com/Women.
About Valley Initiative for Development and Advancement (VIDA)
VIDA is a nationally recognized evidence-based college completion program, serving the Rio Grande Valley region of South Texas, including Hidalgo, Cameron, Starr, and Willacy counties for 27 years. VIDA integrates a career pathways approach, such as stackable credentials, to provide underserved residents with the opportunity to pursue career training programs in target demand occupations leading to family sustaining wage employment and continuous professional growth. VIDA’s program operates through a dual component model incorporating both direct financial assistance and intensive case management services from professional counselors to ensure successful student outcomes. VIDA counselors offer students individualized profile assessment, evaluation, career coaching, academic mentoring, personal and group counseling sessions, mental health awareness, financial literacy workshops, job placement services, and more.
About The Stevie Awards
Stevie Awards are conferred in eight programs: the Asia-Pacific Stevie Awards, the German Stevie Awards, The American Business Awards®, The International Business Awards®, the Middle East & North Africa Stevie Awards, the Stevie Awards for Women in Business, the Stevie Awards for Great Employers, and the Stevie Awards for Sales & Customer Service. Stevie Awards competitions receive more than 12,000 nominations each year from organizations in more than 70 nations. Honoring organizations of all types and sizes and the people behind them, the Stevies recognize outstanding performances in the workplace worldwide. Learn more about the Stevie Awards at www.StevieAwards.com.
