Liz Cedillo-Pereira
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 Environmental Quality and Sustainability, Office of Equity, Office of Ethics and Compliance, Office of Fair Housing and Human Rights, Office of Resilience, and the Office of Welcoming Communities and Immigrant Affairs.
Liz Cedillo-Pereira previously served as the Director of the Office of Welcoming Communities and Immigrant Affairs (WCIA). In that position, Liz has overseen the community-driven process to develop a comprehensive Strategic Welcoming Plan for the City of Dallas that was unanimously adopted by Dallas City Council in 2018.
A native Dallas-ite, Liz has more than 15 years of experience at the federal, state, and local level in human rights, immigration, and anti-trafficking related matters. Prior to joining the City of Dallas, Liz served as Senior Advisor to the Director of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement where she focused on immigration policy and overseeing the agency’s implementation of numerous policy priorities. In addition, Liz led the agency’s revamped community engagement initiatives through the establishment of the Office of Community Engagement.
Liz is board certified in immigration and nationality law by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization. She received her Bachelor of Arts in English from the University of Pennsylvania, and a Juris Doctorate from Southern Methodist University Dedman School of Law.
Liz is married to Oscar Pereira, an aeronautical engineer. They are blessed with three children: Amanda, Gabriela, and Oscar Samuel.