DR. ADIS M. VILA

Dr. Adis M. Vila is the Chief Diversity Officer, U.S. Air Force Academy, Colorado Springs, Colo. She serves as the principal adviser to USAFA leadership ensuring diversity programs and projects are developed in accordance with federal, Department of Defense, Air Force, and USAFA guidance, policy, architecture and standards. She is the strategic leader, diversity advocate and principal adviser to academy leaders on diversity programs and issues and its primary voice on matters of equity, diversity and inclusion. She provides strategic guidance to the superintendent and other senior leaders on the implementation of diversity and inclusive learning best practices.

Dr. Vila is a former professor of international business and international law, corporate executive, government official, academic administrator and practicing attorney. She has broad general management experience in telecommunications, agriculture, government and international business. At the federal level, Dr. Vila has held a variety of senior posts including Special Assistant to the Assistant Secretary for Latin American Affairs in the U.S. Department of State, and Assistant Secretary of Administration at the U.S. Department of Agriculture. At the state level, Dr. Vila served as Secretary (Agency Head) of the Florida Department of Administration where she managed a $750 million budget and more than 500 employees.

Additionally, Dr. Vila has been Vice President of two multinational companies, and taught at two liberal arts colleges and numerous for profit and private universities as an adjunct professor. She is multicultural and fluent in English, Spanish, French and Portuguese, with a working knowledge of German.

EDUCATION
1974 Bachelor of Arts degree, with honors, Rollins College, Winter Park, Fla.
1976 Diplome in human rights law, Institut International des Droits de L'Homme, Strasbourg, France
1976 Diplome in public international law, The Hague Academy of International Law, The Netherlands
1977 Certificate of Study, La Escuela Libre de Derecho, Mexico City, Mexico
1978 Juris Doctor degree, with honors, University of Florida College of Law, Gainesville
1981 Diplome (LLM equiv.) in international law, with honors, Graduate Institute of International and Development Studies, Geneva, Switzerland
1997 Master of Business Administration degree, Booth School of Business, University of Chicago

CAREER CHRONOLOGY
1. 1978 - 1979, law clerk, Legal Department, Nestle S.A., Vevey, Switzerland
2. 1979 - 1982, attorney-at-law, Paul and Thompson, Miami, Fla.
3. 1982 - 1983, White House Fellow assigned to Office of Public Liaison (Elizabeth Dole), Washington, D.C.
4. 1983 - 1986, Special Assistant to the Assistant Secretary for Latin American Affairs (Amb. Langhorne Motley), Department of State, Washington, D.C.
5. 1986 - 1987, Director, Mexico and Caribbean Basin, International Trade Administration, U.S. Department of Commerce, Washington, D.C.
6. 1987 - 1989, Secretary, Department of Administration (Agency Head; CEO), State of Florida, Tallahassee, Fla.
7. 1989 - 1992, Assistant Secretary of Administration, U.S. Department of Agriculture, Washington, D.C.
8. 1992 - 1993, visiting Fellow, National Defense University, Fort Lesley J. McNair, Washington, D.C
9. 1993 - 1994, visiting professor, College of Business and College of Public Affairs and Services, Florida International University, Miami, Fla.
10. 1994 - 1995, Vice President, International Business Development, Vigoro Corp., Chicago, Ill.
11. 1997 - 2000, Vice President, Government Relations and Regulatory Policy, Caribbean and Latin America, Nortel Networks, Sunrise, Fla.
12. 2002 - 2003, Vice President, External Affairs, Miami-Dade Community College, Miami, Fla.
13. 2003 - 2007, adjunct professor, Huizenga Graduate School of Business and Entrepreneurship; adjunct professor, Graduate School of Business, University of Miami, Fla.; online instructor, University of Phoenix; and adjunct professor, DeVry University-Keller Graduate School of Management, Miramar, Fla.
14. 2007 - 2009, visiting professor, International Business Department, Dickinson College, Carlisle, Pa.
15. 2009 - 2010, scholar in residence, Winter Park Institute, Rollins College, Winter Park, Fla.
16. 2010 - present, Chief Diversity Officer, U.S. Air Force Academy, Colorado Springs, Colo.

AWARDS AND HONORS
1974 Algernon Sydney Sullivan Medallion for Outstanding Scholarship, Leadership and Service
1983 Outstanding Young Alum Award, Rollins College
1985 One of 100 Young Women of Promise, Good Housekeeping
1989 One of 100 Most Influential Hispanics in the United States
1990 Citizens Leadership Award for Diversity Efforts, League of United Latin American
1994 Woman of the Year, Cuban Lions Club

OTHER ACHIEVEMENTS
White House Fellow
21st Century Trust Fellow (United Kingdom)
U.S.-Japan Leadership Fellow (Tokyo)
Eisenhower Fellow (Argentina)
Deutscher Akademischer Austauschdienst (German Academic Exchange Service)
Rotary International Graduate Ambassadorial Scholar (Switzerland)
Rotary Group Study Exchange Team (India)

BAR AND COURT ADMISSIONS
Florida Bar
District of Columbia Bar
Florida Supreme Court
U.S. Supreme Court
U.S. Court of Appeals, Eleventh Circuit
U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Florida

PUBLICATIONS
"Legal Aspects of Foreign Direct Investments in the US," 16 International Lawyer, 1981
"Globalization Challenge to Caribbean, Latin America," Cancion, a publication of CANTO, The Caribbean Association of National Telecommunication Organization, 3rd Quarter 2000
"Region Must Foster E-growth to stay Competitive," guest column, World City, Sept. 26 - Oct. 9, 2000
"Role of State Governments in Attracting Foreign Direct Investments, a look at Florida, Pennsylvania, South Carolina and Indiana," Law and Business Review of the Americas, Vol. 16, Issue 2, Spring 2010

PROFESSIONAL MEMBERSHIPS AND ASSOCIATIONS
Trustee, Southern Center for International Studies
Council on Foreign Relations
National Association of Corporate Directors
International Women's Forum
Academy of International Business
Academy of Legal Studies in Business
Rotary International, former member Carlisle, Pa., and Chicago One Rotary Clubs

(Current as of March 2011)