Texas Border Business
McALLEN, Texas – Valley Initiative for Development and Advancement (VIDA) announced thatFelida Villarreal, CPA, President & CEO, has been elected as the Female Representative for Texas to the UnidosUS Affiliate Council. Her three-year term will begin in June 2026.
UnidosUS is the nation’s largest Latino civil rights and advocacy organization, and its network of nearly 300 community-based organizations serves the 62 million Latinos across the United States and Puerto Rico. As a member of the Affiliate Council, Villarreal will represent the entire state of Texas, helping guide UnidosUS in developing programs, policy, and grassroots strategy that advance economic mobility and opportunity for Latino communities.
The UnidosUS Affiliate Council serves as an instrument by which UnidosUS Affiliates influence UnidosUS policy and operations. The Council advises the UnidosUS Board of Directors, the UnidosUS President and CEO, and the UnidosUS executive staff, serving as a voice for and representing the partnership between UnidosUS and its most important constituency.
“I am deeply honored to have been elected by the Affiliate Network to represent Texas on the UnidosUS Affiliate Council,” Villarreal said. “VIDA’s partnership with UnidosUS has been transformative for our organization and the communities we serve. Through this collaboration, we have expanded our capacity, strengthened our programs, and connected to a national network of organizations committed to advancing Latino prosperity. Estoy comprometida a seguir elevando las voces y prioridades de nuestra gente en Texas, asegurando que nuestras comunidades tengan un asiento en la mesa a nivel nacional. I look forward to amplifying the voice and priorities of Texas Affiliates at the national level and contributing to the continued success of the UnidosUS Network.”
Under Villarreal’s leadership over the past four years, VIDA has tripled its organizational capacity from $2 million to $6 million, secured major federal and national grants, and built strategic partnerships that have elevated workforce development in the Rio Grande Valley. VIDA currently partners with UnidosUS on the Muévete Grant Program in collaboration with VerizonEdX, providing in-demand stackable online credentials from top-tier universities including Harvard, Columbia, and Rice University to participants seeking to advance their careers.
Most recently, Villarreal represented VIDA and the RGV at the UnidosUS Prosperity Forward Convening in Washington, D.C., where she participated in the “Local Stories, National Impact” panel discussing the shared Economic Agenda for Prosperity.
As the Texas Female Representative, Villarreal will work closely with UnidosUS staff to promote Affiliate work, raise regional issues of importance, and increase engagement of Affiliates in UnidosUS opportunities. Her role reflects UnidosUS’s commitment to women’s leadership—with 56% of Affiliate organizations led by women—and ensures that the voices of female leaders navigating the complexities of nonprofit management, fundraising, policy advocacy, and community impact are represented at the national level.
