Why you need to know her:
Because she has just taken the helm of one of the most influential industry groups in Dallas. It has only been a few months since Cecile Fernandez was named executive director of the Hotel Association of North Texas, but she’s already up to her elbows in projects. “We have so many opportunities here that you can take the association anywhere,” she says. “I can do a little or a lot, and I’m a person who wants to do a lot.”
The group represents about 100 properties and 30,000 hotel rooms in North Texas. The hospitality industry, which employs about 132,000 locally, is a major economic driver in the Dallas area—a region that attracts 12.7 million visitors annually who spend about $14.2 billion.
Along with representing the interests of the industry with civic and government leaders, Fernandez helps shape marketing campaigns for the Dallas Tourism Public Improvement District. Established in 2012, the district is made up of hotel properties in Dallas with 100 or more hotel rooms. They pay an assessment on their occupied rooms to help promote Dallas as a convention and tourism destination.
Fernandez says her campaigns are seldom one-size-fits-all. “People in Arkansas, Louisiana, and Oklahoma think of this area as being nothing but good shopping,” she says. “And on the coasts, they think we all wear cowboy hats. People living in other countries are still watching reruns of the original Dallas TV show, and they’ve formed their ideas about the city from that.”
Previously, Fernandez was district director for Texas State Rep. Jason Villalba (R-Dallas) and served as director of community outreach and communications for former Dallas County Commissioner Maurine Dickey. Before that, she held management positions at Pizza Hut and Dickey’s Barbecue.
“This job is really a perfect fit for me,” she says of her new position. “It combines advocacy and the hospitality industry, areas where I have experience and that I really enjoy.”
