Cheryl Richards serves as the Senior Vice President and Chief Diversity and Inclusion officer (CDIO) at VisitDallas. In this position, Richards' duties include creating and implementing a strategic plan to elevate VisitDallas as a leader in diversity and inclusion at the local, national and international levels. Richards serves as the liaison to the Diversity & Inclusion Board committee, chaired by Maria Mendez, Account Executive with Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Texas.
Richards, who has been with VisitDallas for 30 years, served as vice president of strategic alliances and was responsible for establishing the membership sales and service standard for VisitDallas, overseeing corporate partnerships, member-based publications and daily operations of the member sales and services department. She received the 2017 Dallas Business Journal Minority Business Leader Award, 2015 Black Meetings & Tourism APEX Award for Distinguished Service, 2014 FraserNet Corporate Professional of the Year Award, 2013 High Tea with High Heels Crystal Stiletto Award from the Atlanta based Trumpet Awards Foundation, which spotlights women who have made a mark and break barriers as a way of life and most recently was featured in Savoy as one of the 2019 Most Influential Women in Corporate America.
Richards is a graduate of the University of North Texas where she earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in journalism/public relations and a minor in business marketing.