Featured Speaker:
Mary Elizabeth Cedillo-Pereira
Chief of Equity & Inclusion, City of Dallas
Mary Elizabeth (Liz) Cedillo-Pereira is the Chief of Equity and Inclusion for the City of Dallas. Liz has executive leadership oversight of the Office of Ethics and Compliance, Office of Equity, Office of Fair Housing and Human Rights, and the Office of Welcoming Communities and Immigrant Affairs (WCIA). The Dallas WCIA seeks to be a bridge connecting Dallas’ diverse immigrant communities with existing Dallas residents so that common ground and shared leadership can be realized. In this position, Liz has overseen the community-driven process to develop a comprehensive Strategic Welcoming Plan for the City of Dallas that was unanimously approved by Dallas City Council in 2018. A Dallas native, Liz has more than 15 years of experience at the federal, state and local level on immigration related matters. Prior to joining the City of Dallas management team, Liz served as the Obama Administration’s Senior Advisor at the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, where she focused on immigration policy and led the establishment of the Office of Community Engagement to foster relations in communities across the U.S. An attorney, advocate and policy advisor, Liz is dedicated to improving our nation’s immigration system.
Among numerous awards for commitment to service and excellence in the legal profession, Liz has been conferred with the Distinguished Alumni Award by SMU Dedman School of Law, the Ohtli Award from the Republic of Mexico, the Maura Award by the Texas Women’s Foundation, and Trailblazer Award from the Texas Hispanic Women’s Network of Texas.
Liz is Board Certified in Immigration and Nationality by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization. She is a proud Bulldog who graduated from North Dallas High School and received her Bachelor of Arts in English from the University of Pennsylvania and her Juris Doctorate from Southern Methodist University Dedman School of Law.
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