Elisa Villanueva Beard
President and CEO, Houston Endowment
Elisa Villanueva Beard is president and CEO of Houston Endowment. A nationally recognized nonprofit leader with nearly three decades of experience guiding organizational transformation, she leads the Foundation’s vision to create a vibrant region where all have the opportunity to thrive. She works alongside a multidisciplinary team to shape the Foundation’s priorities and deploy its resources — including more than $100 million in annual grantmaking — to ensure the organization remains responsive to the needs of the community today and forward-looking in building for the future.
Villanueva Beard joined Houston Endowment after a 27-year tenure at Teach for America (TFA), where she helped guide the organization through significant growth. She served as CEO for 12 years, leading 1,500 staff and more than 70,000 alumni and overseeing a $200 million endowment and $300 million operating enterprise. During her tenure, she led multi-year organizational transformation, including digital modernization, strengthened long-term strategy and impact measurement, and advanced partnerships across philanthropy, government, and civic sectors.
She previously served as TFA’s chief operating officer and as executive director in the Rio Grande Valley. She began her career as a TFA corps member teaching elementary school in Phoenix—an experience that continues to shape her enduring belief in the potential of every child and the supports they need to thrive.
Villanueva Beard serves on the boards of City Fund, GoGuardian, Leadership for Educational Equity, and Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art. She is an inaugural member of the Pahara–Aspen Education Fellowship, Governance Chair and Champion for JOURNEY to Lead, and an emeritus board member at The Holdsworth Center. She has been recognized among LinkedIn’s Top 20 Voices in Social Impact and ALPFA’s 50 Most Powerful Latinas. Villanueva Beard earned a B.A. in sociology from DePauw University. A South Texas native, she lives with her husband and four sons in Houston.