Hillwood exec reps real estate in Dallas Regional Chamber CEO search

As the Dallas Regional Chamber launches its search for a new CEO, an executive of one of the region’s most influential real estate firms will help shape the transition.

Darcy Anderson, vice chair of Ross Perot Jr.’s Hillwood Development, is among the eight industry leaders tapped to serve on the chamber’s CEO selection committee, the Dallas Business Journal reported. Anderson is the only representative of the commercial real estate sector on the selection committee and is slated to serve as the chamber’s board chair next year.

The committee is tasked with finding a successor to Dale Petroskey, who will step down as president and CEO at the end of this year after more than a decade in the role. The DRC board unanimously approved the selection committee Thursday, two days after Petroskey announced his plans to step away for personal reasons.

Petroskey joined the chamber in 2014 and is widely credited with helping elevate its influence over regional economic development and corporate recruitment efforts. The number of Fortune 500 companies in Dallas-Fort Worth grew by 33 percent and more than 70 Fortune 1000 companies are now chamber members during his tenure, the outlet said.

Unlike chambers of commerce that focus narrowly on member services, the DRC acts as a key player in site selection and regional growth strategy, with a $13.5 million operating budget and nearly 700 member companies. Anderson’s sole presence on the selection committee may, if anything, underscore the weight commercial real estate carries in the chamber’s agenda. The organization was named National Chamber of the Year in 2022.

The rest of the committee includes senior executives from Toyota North America, Texas Instruments, Blue Cross Blue Shield of Texas, Axxess, Jacobs, Ernst & Young and Bank of America. Jennifer Chandler, Dallas market president for BofA, will serve as vice chair in 2026 and board chair in 2027.

Petroskey called the timing “right for me and my family,” citing his wife’s health challenges. His exit leaves big shoes to fill in a chamber that has become central to the region’s economic narrative, and whose leader will help set the tone for the Metroplex’s next chapter.

— Judah Duke