Dish-Houston

Jackelyn Viera-Iloff is a seasoned communications professional with more than 20 years experience in strategic communications, crisis management, public relations planning, promotion, government and political outreach, campaign advance, event planning, and fund raising. Currently, she heads Southstar Communications -- a strategic communications consulting company.

Clients range from auto technology industry promotions, religious ministries crisis communications, international trade promotions, and business development. Ms. Viera-Iloff has provided direction on content, design, and marketing, as a producer for the long running Channel 55’s on-air magazine show Wild About Houston.

From 1996 to 1998, she was an Area Director of Public Relations for KPMG Peat Marwick, LLP, responsible for communicating the activities and expertise of partners and products to the media & other public audiences. She developed external communications policies & procedures for message coordination and dissemination, and crisis communications management. Prior to that, Ms. Viera-Iloff was a manager in the Government Affairs office of KPMG as a liaison to The Accountants Coalition. During 1995-96, she concentrated on the passage of the 1995 landmark tort reform legislation advancing the firm’s interests and concerns to federal legislators and state government leaders, as well as coordinated activities with key professional associations.

In 1994, she responded to Virginia Governor George Allen’s invitation to join his trade and economic development staff. As part of the Allen Administration, Ms. Viera-Iloff assisted with the implementation of economic development strategies and trade opportunities for the Commonwealth. In this capacity, she served as Deputy Director of the Office of Special Projects developing marketing and promotional activities that showcased the Governor's plans. Under the Secretary of Commerce and Trade’s office, she implemented strategies for attracting domestic and international businesses to Virginia, coordinated liaison on the Disney's America project, and managed outreach to minority and mainstream business organizations across the state.

Ms. Viera-Iloff was appointed by the Reagan Administration as a Special Assistant for Public Affairs at the US Department of Transportation under Secretary Elizabeth Dole from 1984-1987. She has also been extensively involved in political grassroots building and outreach having served in the 1987 Bush presidential campaign, at the RNC in the 1984 Reagan Administration, and in the 1982 California Wilson Senatorial campaign.

She currently resides with her husband Donald E. Iloff, Jr. and their daughters Elizabeth and Cristina, in Houston, TX

HONORS include --
- Selected VA Governor Allen’s Administration Representative to the National Policy Forum, Entrepreneurship and Small Business Policy Forum -- "Listening to America,” 1994
- Appointed to the US Department of Commerce Minority Enterprise Development Week Ad Hoc Committee, 1991-93
- Awarded by DC Chamber of Commerce Women in Business the Skirts in Power "Rising Star" Award, 1992.
- Selected to the World's Who's Who of Women, 1992
- Selected as a delegate to the US Hispanic Chamber of Commerce Convention, 1990
- Selected as an Outstanding Young Woman of America, 1985

ORGANIZATIONS include –
- Harris County Republican Party - Finance Committee 2004-currently- Chair
- Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo - 2004-currently
- Champion Kids Camp - Advisory Board Member, 2004/05
- Project Cure - Advisory Committee, 2004/07
- Lakewood Church - member, 1998 - currently
- Boardroom Bound (a businesswomen’s development organization), Founding Board Member, 1996/98
- Leadership Washington, 1997
- The Small Business Incubator Project, Board Member, 1996/97
- DC 2000 (a community revitalization alliance), Committee Member, 1995/96
- Washington Women in Business Committee of the DC Chamber of Commerce, Awards Chair, 1996, Outreach Chair Executive Subcommittee, 1994, Committee Member, 1993
- Washington Area Council on Alcoholism & Drug Abuse, Fund Raising Chair, Board of Directors, 1993.
- Greater Washington Ibero-American Chamber of Commerce, Vice President, 1992; Administration & Planning Committee Chair, Managing Editor "El Boletin" newsletter, 1991; Board Member, 1990
- Heritage Foundation, Mexico Working Group NAFTA Taskforce, 1991.