Angela Franco was named Interim President & CEO of the DC Chamber of Commerce as of July 1, 2020.
Prior to joining the Chamber, from May 2017 to June 2020, Angela was the Senior Advisor for Business Development at the DC Health Benefit Exchange Authority (DCHBX) where she is responsible for collaborating with the Hispanic and business communities as well as local and Federal Government.
From 2009 to 2017, Angela was the President and CEO of the Greater Washington Hispanic Chamber of Commerce (GWHCC). Under her leadership, the organization was strengthened and revitalized as evidenced by its dramatic membership growth from 60 members when she started to 670 members upon her departure. It also experienced a 500% increase in operating revenue during her eight years of service. She led the organization in regaining the trust of its members, partners and sponsors. The Washington Business Journal ranks the GWHCC among the Top Five Chambers of Commerce in the DC Metro Region. In 2015, the GWHCC was named Chamber of the Year by the U.S. Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, and in 2013, received that organization’s award as the best midsized Chamber in the nation.
In March of 2016, she was given the Presidential Ambassadors for Global Entrepreneurship Award. In 2015, she earned the Local Leader Making an Impact Award from the NBC4 Washington television station. In 2014, Angela received the NFL Hispanic Leadership Award from the Washington Redskins and Verizon. The highly regarded Washington Business Journal honored Angela in February 2013 by naming her the 2012 Minority Business Leader. This annual honor recognizes minority business leaders and owners in the Washington, DC area who have exhibited the best performance during the last 12 to 18 months, amongst others.
Angela has served on numerous boards and commissions. She is a Board Member at Large for the United Way Capital Region and in the Advisory Board of the Pan American Development Foundation and an appointee to the DC Workforce Investment Council (by the DC Mayor). She is also the co-chair of the Leadership Council at the Kid-Museum.
A graduate of Leadership Montgomery and Leadership Greater Washington Angela is also a Board member of the Merit Systems Protection Board of Montgomery County. Angela’s earlier career in the US includes being a member of the Senior Leadership Team for the Branch Banking and Trust Company (BB&T), and Assistant to the President and CEO of the US Hispanic Chamber of Commerce Foundation. She is a United States citizen who held other management positions before relocating to the US from Bogotá, Colombia. In Bogotá, Angela was Manager for Special Businesses for the Santander Pension Fund, Manager of Institutional Relations for a division of Banco Popular del Ecuador, and Assistant to the VP of Marketing for the American International Group (AIG). She holds a Master of Science degree in Finance and a Bachelor of Arts degree in Business Administration. While with BB&T, she was chosen to attend the Branch Banking and Trust University, an 18-month educational program offered only to those recognized as top performers with high potential. She is also a Certified Life Coach, and a John Maxwell certified trainer, coach and speaker.