Chris Wallace, CEO – North Texas Commission

Chris Wallace, IOM, CCE was named the President/CEO of the North Texas Commission in June of 2018.  The NTC is a unique public-private partnership that drives large impactful projects and legislative advocacy benefiting a robust 13-county region.

Prior to joining the NTC, Wallace was President/COO of the Texas Association of Business, the state chamber of commerce.  In this role, he managed TAB’s statewide team responsible for legislative advocacy and strategy, operations, membership/marketing, as well as board and chamber relations.  As a registered lobbyist, Chris founded the highly recognized and successful Keep Texas Open for Business Coalition.  Wallace also successfully led a nationwide campaign reauthorizing the Export-Import Bank as well as a NAFTA 2.0 initiative (Texas-Mexico Trade Coalition). Prior to joining the TAB team, Wallace was President/CEO of the Greater Irving-Las Colinas Chamber, the third largest chamber of commerce in North Texas and the first national Five-Star Accredited Chamber in Texas. He also managed the Irving Economic Development Partnership.

Wallace is immediate past chairman of the National Board of Trustees of the U.S. Chamber’s Institute for Organization Management as well as a former Regent of Northeast Institute at Villanova University. He is among only 570 executives in the nation who have earned their CCE (Certified Chamber Executive) designation. He also serves on the national board of the Business & Industry Political Action Committee (BIPAC) and on the Texas Advisory Committee of the U.S. Global Leadership Coalition.

Wallace has also served as the Vice President of Administration for the Las Colinas Association where he successfully developed and implemented a corporate communications and marketing program for the 12,000-acre Las Colinas development.

He is a 1992 graduate of Texas Tech University and serves as a member of the Texas Tech Chancellor’s Council and previously on the Professional Advisory Board of the College of Media and Communication where he was named an outstanding alumnus in 2008.  Wallace has experience in economic development marketing, strategic planning, and public relations including management in both the public and private sectors. He has played an active role in several local and state political campaigns. Wallace is an advocate of strong civic engagement through his involvement with numerous social service, education, arts and municipal-related boards/commissions.

In November of 2018, Wallace was honored to be among the Dallas 500, the top influential business leaders in North Texas by DCEO Magazine. He was also a finalist for a 2010 White House Fellowship.