Chris LaTurno Bio

“Dream Big Go Big” and “Encourage and Take Care of Each Other” are the two mantras of Chris LaTurno, President & CEO of Junior Achievement of Dallas, where he leads a $3M organization serving k-12 students across Dallas, Tyler, Longview, and Lufkin.  

Chris is a proud to be the husband to Lisa for the past 26 years and a thankful to be the  father to two young adults, Jackson and Eden.

Known for stabilizing cultures, strengthening boards, and driving transformational growth, Chris has overseen a 50% revenue increase in his first year at JA Dallas, secured multiple major corporate partnerships, and delivered the most successful Dallas Business Hall of Fame event in the market’s history, increasing the events revenue from $700,000 to $1,200,000 earlier this year.

Before joining JA Dallas, Chris served as Region Senior Vice President at the American Heart Association Dallas Division, where he led a team of 35 and guided the Dallas market to record-breaking fundraising results—raising $40 million in three years, the most ever for an AHA market in that time span. His career also includes successful leadership roles with JDRF and more than a decade in commercial banking.

A mission-driven leader known for his ability to bring people together, Chris is passionate about relationship management, team culture, and community impact.