{"id":389675,"date":"2025-11-19T10:09:27","date_gmt":"2025-11-19T10:09:27","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/389675\/"},"modified":"2025-11-19T10:09:27","modified_gmt":"2025-11-19T10:09:27","slug":"svp-dallas-names-catherine-cuellar-as-its-next-ceo-dallas-innovates","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/389675\/","title":{"rendered":"SVP Dallas Names Catherine\u00a0Cuellar as Its Next CEO \u00bb Dallas Innovates"},"content":{"rendered":"

Catherine Cuellar doesn\u2019t stay in one lane\u2014and that\u2019s her strength. Over two decades, she\u2019s moved between newsrooms and nonprofits, cultural institutions and city hall, corporate strategy and community impact. <\/strong><\/p>\n

Now the sector-spanning leader is set to take the helm at Social Venture Partners Dallas, an organization built around connections\u2014where philanthropists roll up their sleeves to \u201cdo good better.\u201d<\/p>\n

The SVP Dallas board announced the appointment in a letter to partners and supporters today, calling Cuellar \u201cexceptionally well-suited to guide SVP Dallas into its next era.\u201d She starts as CEO on January 1, 2026, as the organization prepares for strategic planning for its next 25 years.<\/p>\n

Founded in 1999, the Dallas-based nonprofit celebrated its 25th anniversary at its annual Philanthroparty gala in June. <\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019ve been a friend and fan of the great work and wonderful programs of SVP Dallas for many years. I\u2019m honored to serve the partners whose work continues to make Dallas better,\u201d Cuellar said in the announcement. \u201cOur work together will build on SVP\u2019s strong record of impactful capacity building while exploring new strategies and alliances to meet this moment.\u201d<\/p>\n

A comprehensive search\u00a0<\/p>\n

The board called Cuellar a \u201cgifted executive leader,\u201d describing her as someone who has built a reputation for strengthening organizations, elevating community voices, and forging collaborations across the nonprofit, public, and private sectors.<\/p>\n

\u201cFor those who have not yet met Catherine, prepare to be inspired by a leader whose entire career has been dedicated to building stronger, more connected communities,\u201d said Donna Young and the board in the letter.<\/p>\n

Victory Search Group led a multi-month search, reaching out to more than 100 leaders and interviewing more than 30 candidates.<\/p>\n

The SVP Dallas Search Committee\u2014Ted Herrod, Donna Young, Mary Jalonick, Bob Wright, Christina Hangar, and John Dupree\u2014met regularly to review progress, conduct in-depth interviews, and evaluate finalists. The committee voted unanimously to recommend Cuellar to the full SVP Board of Directors, which approved her appointment on November 3.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe could not be more confident in this decision or more excited for the future of SVP Dallas,\u201d Young and the board of directors said.<\/p>\n

A career crossing sectors<\/p>\n

Cuellar began her career as a journalist at The Dallas Morning News and NPR stations KERA and KCRW. She later co-founded GuideLive.com, the News\u2019 digital guide to arts and culture.<\/p>\n

More recently, as director of communications, outreach, and marketing for the City of Dallas, Cuellar expanded organizational capacity and created community-centered initiatives. She established protocols for community outreach and public affairs for the FIFA World Cup 2026 and a new convention center district. She also launched a paid tourism and hospitality internship program to build the local workforce and developed a Nighttime Initiatives (NIGHT) division to support entrepreneurship and safety.<\/p>\n

Before that, as CEO of the Dallas Arts District Foundation, she led the nation\u2019s largest contiguous urban cultural district. She balanced the budget, doubled annual revenues, and secured new public and private funding. During her tenure, she co-founded the Global Cultural Districts Network, which is headquartered in Dallas, and hosted the 82nd U.S. Conference of Mayors and the New Cities Summit.<\/p>\n

Her strategic consulting work with Grant Thornton LLP and Communities Foundation of Texas reflects her ability to align business strategy with community impact, according to the board. At Communities Foundation of Texas, where she served as Director of Entrepreneurs for North Texas, she managed a portfolio of 100 member companies and helped them align business objectives with corporate citizenship, the board noted.<\/p>\n

Earlier in her career, Cuellar worked as communications manager at Oncor, where she managed communications and external affairs for the electric utility company, supporting government advocacy and leading digital strategies that earned industry recognition.<\/p>\n

Her commitment to Dallas runs deeper than her r\u00e9sum\u00e9.<\/p>\n

Cuellar comes from a family that\u2019s been building community in Dallas for generations. Her grandfather\u2019s family, including brothers Macario and Gilbert, opened El Charro<\/a> in Dallas in 1940, using recipes from her great-grandmother Adelaida Cuellar. That restaurant became the foundation for the iconic El Chico<\/a> chain.<\/p>\n

Cuellar also has a long history of civic engagement, serving on boards including Dallas Area Rapid Transit (DART), the Greater Dallas Planning Council, and Texans for the Arts.<\/p>\n

\u201cThese experiences position Catherine perfectly to guide SVP Dallas as we embark on strategic planning,\u201d the board said in the letter, describing her as \u201ca\u00a0leader built for this moment.\u201d<\/p>\n

SVP Dallas\u2019 throughline: \u2018Do Good Better\u2019<\/p>\n

SVP Dallas\u2019 official tagline, \u201cDo Good Better\u201d reflects its approach to philanthropy. Partners contribute funding, but they also roll up their sleeves. Using their skills and experience, they help organizations improve operations, from HR and finance to strategy and board governance.<\/p>\n

Using a venture capital model, SVP also invests in early-stage social-impact ideas, both nonprofit and for-profit, that need support to reach sustainability. And it convenes the community through events, luncheons, and bigBANG!, bringing together people who want to learn, challenge assumptions, and build smarter solutions for North Texas.<\/p>\n

SVP Dallas is one of six original founding chapters of Social Venture Partners International, part of a network of over 40 affiliate organizations in cities and countries worldwide. As a local affiliate, it operates independently with its own governing board and focuses on local community issues.<\/p>\n

Momentum during transition<\/p>\n

While the board conducted its search, SVP Dallas staff and partners kept the organization\u2019s work moving forward, including hosting bigBANG! on November 6-7 at SMU.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

Tony Fleo has served as SVP Dallas CEO since 2013.<\/p>\n

bigBANG! is North Texas\u2019s longest-running and largest social innovation conference. The multi-day event brings together social innovators, business professionals, and community leaders for dialogue, education, and action on social issues. This year\u2019s theme was \u201cHope in Action: Igniting Change, Empowering Communities,\u201d exploring how collective action can transform shared aspirations into measurable impact.<\/p>\n

Fleo, the SVP Dallas staff, and our Partners continued to advance the group\u2019s \u201cmission with excellence\u2014including delivering another outstanding bigBANG!\u201d the board said in the letter. \u201cWe are deeply grateful for their leadership and dedication during this transition.\u201d
Earlier in the year, the nonprofit announced the planned transition, announcing that Fleo would step down at the end of 2025.<\/p>\n

Fleo stepped into the chief executive role in 2013<\/a> and played \u201ca central role in shaping the direction of SVP Dallas,\u201d according to a news release in June. Among other initiatives, he led the launch of the Dana Juett Residency, which is now a cornerstone of SVP\u2019s mission to support and develop emerging leaders in North Texas. <\/p>\n

\u201cUnder his leadership, SVP Dallas has expanded its network, grown its partnerships, and deepened its connection to the community,\u201d SVP Dallas said.<\/p>\n

Don\u2019t miss what\u2019s next. Subscribe\u00a0to\u00a0Dallas\u00a0Innovates.<\/p>\n

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\tR E A D\u00a0\u00a0 N E X T\t<\/p>\n