Multicultural and multi-lingual, Dr. Adis Vila is a Cuban refugee who came to the United States in 1962 at the age of 8. In 1982, she was selected a White House Fellow — the premier leadership program in the US. Her journey from political refugee to the highest levels of government, business, and higher education is a story of resiliency, adaptability, and relentless reinvention.

Vila is the former global head of international business development at Vigoro, a $750M international agri-business company; former head of regulatory policy for the western hemisphere at Nortel Networks, a $22B telecom supplier; former Secretary & CEO of the Florida State Department of Administration; and former Assistant Secretary & COO of the US Department of Agriculture. An experienced financial executive, she qualifies as an audit committee financial expert under SEC and NYSE Rules.

In 2013, Vila retired from her position as the first Chief Diversity Officer at the US Air Force Academy and founded Vila & Associates, a consultancy focused on helping clients develop strategies to build diverse leadership and foster an inclusive organizational culture. She now lectures around the country on leadership, organizational culture, reinventing oneself, living a life of no regrets, and diversity and inclusion.

Vila serves on the Board of Directors of MessageComm, the Connected Commerce Council (3Cs) President's Council, and the Latino Corporate Directors Association. She has previously served as a Member of the Board of Directors of the Rural Telephone Bank (Washington, DC), a Member of the Advisory Board of Global Asset Management at Union Bank Suisse (UBS, $15 billion mutual fund), and as a Trustee of the Southern Center for International Studies.