Richard E. Dayoub is the founder and principal of Thunderbird Management Consulting, LLC. He began his career in the chamber world in 2003 as the Chief Operating Officer. In 2004, he assumed the position of president and was selected to be the Chamber’s President and CEO in 2007. Since 2004, Richard has served on the Collaborative for Academic Excellence, a nationally recognized partnership headquartered at the University of Texas at El Paso and chaired by its president, Dr. Diana Natalicio. He has also served as board chair for the Child Crisis Center, board member of Junior Achievement and Big Brothers Big Sisters. In 2010, Richard was honored by the El Paso Child Guidance Center as the guest of honor for a fundraiser roast for the community based charitable organization, and was honored as the Fort Bliss Citizen of the Year in 2009, for his work in support of Fort Bliss soldiers and their families. Mr. Dayoub was inducted into the Fort Bliss Hall of Fame in May of 2013. Richard was inducted into the League of Women Voters’ prestigious Life Time Achievement Bravo Award for his contributions in public policy promoting good government and transparency, in October of 2017.
Dayoub is a graduate of the Institute for Organizational Management completing his coursework at the University of Arizona in 2009. He served as the Chairman of the Texas Metro Chambers of Commerce, serving in that capacity for two years, in 2010 and 2011. In 2007 and 2008, Richard participated as a Ford Foundation Fellow, a project focused on regionalism and sustainable development in partnership with the American Chamber of Commerce Executives. Richard served on the ACCE Board of Directors, as Vice Chair, and was an active member of the Metro Cities Council. Richard is an ACCE Fellow for Education Attainment. He received his Certified Chamber Executive Designation in April of 2014. Richard currently serves as president of the Sun Bowl Association, and he is on the board of El Pasoans Fighting Hunger and the Stars Education Foundation.
In his prior career, Dayoub was the president and CEO of a large regional travel company for nearly 30 years. In that capacity, he oversaw the growth and expansion of the company that transformed from a small local operation with 10 employees, to a company with 10 offices in four states and more than 100 employees. In that capacity, his company was recognized as the highest producing retailer in the southwest by every major airline, tour and cruise company in the country. He also served on American Airline’s travel advisory committee for ten years.
Richard attended the University of Texas at El Paso majoring in speech and theatre studies and recently returned to complete his work in Interdisciplinary Studies. Richard is an Air Force veteran, serving two tours in Vietnam from 1968 to 1970. He is married to Veronica Villaverde Dayoub, and has four children, Danielle, Damon, Samuel and Emily and three granddaughters, Ariah, Ava and Ryan.
