Making Black Tie history

Black Tie Dinner Co-chairs Deirdre Coleman and Lilianna Villareal said the organization is finding new ways to reach its goals

TAMMYE NASH | Managing Editor
Nash@DallasVoice.com

With the 2025 Black Tie Dinner less than two months away, organizers of the 44th annual fundraising gala this week announced more of the honorees, entertainers and special guests on tap for the event.

Activist Jim Obergefell, the named plaintiff in the lawsuit that resulted in the U.S. Supreme Court’s 2015 ruling on marriage equality, is the recipient of Black Tie’s 2025 Equality Award. Trevor Project President and CEO Jaymes Black is the 2025 Kuchling Humanitarian Award recipient.

Human Rights Campaign President Kelley Robinson will speak at the dinner, which will also feature former NFL player Carl Nassibas a special guest and presenter, with entertainment by actress/singer/songwriter Haley Orrantia.

Co-chairs Liliana Villareal and Deirdre took a few minutes out of their hectic schedules recently to answer a few questions about what guests can expect at the dinner, and about the special places the two of them hold in Black Tie history.

Dallas Voice: Hey y’all. Thanks so much for taking the time to answer some questions for us. Let’s start with the basics: Each of you tell me a little about yourselves. How and why did you get involved with Black Tie Dinner? What drew you to this organization and these causes? Also, what are your pronoun preferences? Liliana Villareal: Great to talk to you today. My pronouns are she/her, and I have been on a part of the Black Tie Dinner board for seven years. I started volunteering with the marketing committee and was brought on by Matt Ginn and Brad Pritchett in 2018. At that time, I was the liaison iHeartMedia and Black Tie Dinner as the in-kind media sponsor, and I grew that through my time in the Dallas office as the regional director of marketing for iHeart until mid-way through 2021.

Since then, I’ve moved into another role within iHeart as director of our Global Music Marketing Department, overseeing several artist/celebrity brand partnerships and integrations along with our custom events for our advertising partners and also as part of the team handling artist experiences at various national tent pole events, like the iHeartRadio Music Festival and iHeartRadio Jingle Ball Tour to name a few. I will be celebrating 15 years next week at iHeart.

I am the eldest daughter of three children; I have two younger brothers. I don’t have any kids, but I do have a lovely fur baby, a 6-year-old hound dog/great Pyrenes mix named Charlie, and two lovely nieces, Abigail and Gianna Grace. I grew up here in the Metroplex, going to school in Seagoville then attending the University of North Texas (Go Mean Green!), where I received my bachelor of arts degree in broadcast journalism.

What drew me to Black Tie Dinner was my experience the first time I attended in 2015. I got to experience a night of resilience, celebration and pride for this community that made me also want to stand up and show my support in a bigger way. I have a number of friends, family, co-workers in the LGBTQ+ community, and I want them to know I see them, I support them and I love them.

Deirdre Coleman: Thank you for talking with us today. My pronouns are she/her. I am a native of Texas, born and raised right here in Dallas. I went to preschool/elementary and middle school in DeSoto, before transferring and finishing my school years out at Wilmer-Hutchins High School. I left the area to attend Sam Houston State University, but I came back to my hometown and finished my undergrad degree in psychology at Dallas Baptist University. Afterwards, I attended Capella University to complete my master’s degree in industrial organizational psychology.

I am single, and the eldest of two children, and I am very excited to be celebrating my 50th birthday in less than six months. My parents and my brother and his family all live in the DFW Metroplex. I currently live in Forney, and one of my greatest joys is being a dog mom to my shih tzu, Pablo, and being an aunt to my two beautiful nieces, Lyric and Lynoxx, and my nephew, Levi.

I am a 25-year employee of AT&T, currently based at our Dallas HQ location. I am lead technical sourcing manager in our Global Supply Chain organization where I lead strategic sourcing and supplier management to support the continued build out of AT&T’s mobility and fiber networks.

I was first drawn to Black Tie Dinner through AT&T, a long-time sponsor of the dinner. I was heavily involved and held a few key positions with AT&T’s LGBTQ+ Employee Group, including COO, so I was invited to sit at the AT&T table at Black Tie. I was always a fan of the organization and the impact it made in the community, then I became directly involved after a good friend, Jaymes Black — now CEO of the Trevor Project — who was on the board at the time, asked me to join the board. Jaymes expressed the need for diversity and more Bblack, queer/lesbian/ally representation. It took a year to convince me to volunteer, then I was sold.

This will be my sixth dinner on the board

What are some other organizations or causes you are involved with?
Lili: I also currently serve on the advisory board for Musicians On Call, a group of leaders from the top organizations in music. We all serve as ambassadors for MOC’s mission while gaining a deeper understanding of philanthropy and how nonprofit boards operate. Together, the advisory board and MOC work to deliver the healing power of music to more communities across the country.

I also serve on the event committee for the Annual City of Hope, Music Film & Entertainment Industry Taste of Hope Wine Dinner in New York City. Since the group’s founding in 1973, they have raised more than $150 million to support City of Hope’s mission to cure — and ultimately prevent — cancer, diabetes, HIV/AIDS and other life-threatening diseases.

Dee: In the last year, Black Tie Dinner has taken up most of my spare time. But in my first few years with Black Tie, I did also sit on the board of directors for LEAGUE Foundation, an organization that provides financial resources for LGBT high school seniors entering their first year of institutions of higher learning. I did that for about four years. I was also on the Women’s Alliance and volunteered for the Genesis Women’s Shelter. I am a previous Community Circle donor and avid volunteer with Resource Center, and I have volunteered time and support to The Bridge Homeless Recovery Center, Family Gateway and City Square. My goal is to get back to being more “boots on the ground” involved within the communities that I share a passion for and represent.

Each of you represents a big first for Black Tie in terms of co-chairs. Lili, you are the first ally to be co-chair. And Deirdre, you are the first Black woman to be co-chair. In fact, the only other Black co-chair, as best I remember, was Terry Loftis. What does it mean to y’all to be these “firsts”? Do you see this as something really important in the organization’s history, or is this just another step in its evolution? Lili: I feel an immense sense of pride to be able to hold this position, as a Latina, an ally and as a woman. I think it shows that we’ve really taken our DEI statement to heart and are really creating a ballroom for everyone, regardless of sex, race or sexual orientation. We’ve diversified the board immensely over the last decade, and we’ve really gained some incredible board members and volunteers.

Dee: One of my best friends, Rick Wilson-Negron, showed me just how much representation matters, and it has been an important part of my story. I think it’s a very big deal to be the first Black woman, the first Black lesbian woman to be co-chair of this organization. I am a reflection of the community we work so hard to fundraise and provide support for. Knowing who I am and embracing the many communities that shape me guides everything I do, and I believe it’s essential to show up fully and authentically in every space I occupy.

I am that reminder that we ALL matter and exist and that Black Tie Dinner acknowledges that our ballroom is for everyone. This board has come a long way in terms of diversifying this board, and I am proud of those we have brought on board to share in the passion and commitment that Black Tie Dinner brings.

The two of you are also the first female co-chair duo. Explain the significance of that milestone for each of you. Lili: I think, in a male-dominated world, seeing women in positions of leadership is important. Being the first is also important; we’re showing that we’re not afraid to be the first, and we are encouraging others to follow in our footsteps, so we won’t be the last either.

Dee: To do this alongside my Latina ally, Lili, being the first two women to chair the organization — it feels amazing. It’s not just about holding the title but about the representation and visibility and how, together, we are sending a powerful message to our community that women’s voices, perspectives and leadership are valued and are an important piece in shaping the future of Black Tie Dinner as an organization.

With right-wing extremists in power in Washington, D.C., and numerous states, including Texas, right now, and the attacks on DEI efforts and progressive communities — especially the transgender community — we have seen a lot of funding cuts and loss of support from both the governmental and the corporate sectors. How has Black Tie adjusted to try and make up some of that difference? How are y’all responding? Lili: Yes, we — like many other organizations — have felt the effects of those attacks in various areas, and it does put pressure on us. First and foremost, we want to keep everyone safe. Operating in this political environment is difficult. We have navigated that with caution, but we still do everything we can to continue to raise funds for our beneficiaries.

We’ve incorporated different events over the last two years. For example our Legacy Luncheon and Black Tie Dinner UnTUX are new events that have really helped us garner some additional funds. We are constantly trying to innovate and create new avenues to generate fundraising dollars.

Dee: We are also introducing a new way to sponsor. We have been reaching out to small businesses in the Metroplex who can’t necessarily come in at the corporate sponsorship levels. We’re offering something more tailored to their resources, an option that still allows them to be involved. This is a first for us and we are calling it our Small Business Advocate sponsorship, and anyone interested can find information on our website at BlackTie.org/Sponsors.

Times are different, but we will continue to do what we do best and support our beneficiaries who will be directly impacted by these cuts so that they can continue to provide the needed services to our community.

Now let’s talk about this year’s dinner. What can people expect this year? Do y’all have any big surprises planned? Lili: We are looking forward to the dinner and all it will offer. We have some tremendous honorees, with Jaymes Black as the Kuchling Award recipient and Jim Obergefell as our Equality Award recipient. Jim was at our dinner as a speaker in 2015, and now, 10 years later, we want to honor him for his activism during the last decade. I am excited to hear from both of them this year, and I think our guests will also enjoy hearing from them as well.

Dee: We also have incredible live auctions packages along with our silent auction. Those will open up for viewing prior to the dinner, so stayed tuned. Any surprises that we “might” have will have to stay a surprise for now !

What message do you have for those planning to attend, and what message do you have for those who haven’t decided yet? Lili: I think our theme really says it all: “Still We Rise.” The LGBTQ+ community is resilient, and we know that it’s not the first time in history that its faced adversity and been under attack. But the dinner is a night of entertainment, empowerment and education, and if they haven’t bought a ticket or gathered friends to get a table, we encourage them to come support our 20 North Texas beneficiaries as well as the Human Rights Campaign Foundation for the incredible work they are doing to provide necessary resources to the community.

Dee: For those attending, Thank You! We couldn’t do this without the donations, sponsorships and support of all of you! To those are still deciding, come Join us! It will be a beautiful night of celebration, with everyone coming together as a community to uplift each other and to provide the critical funds needed to our 21 beneficiaries. Don’t miss out! Get your ticket or table now.

Last question: What do you want to talk about that I haven’t asked about? Lili: I want to just reiterate that our board of directors is an all-volunteer board. There are no paid positions in this organization. We all have full-time jobs, families, pets, friends, etc. So for the board to take time away for all of the other things each of them have in their lives and to dedicate that time and energy to this organization and its beneficiaries is something to recognize and appreciate.

Dee: Same for me. I just want to acknowledge our amazing all-volunteer board and the time and commitment they put into this organization and dinner. They are our heroes and we love them!

The 44th annual Black Tie Dinner will be Saturday, Nov. 8, at the Sheraton Dallas Hotel. Visit BlackTie.org for information on tickets, sponsorships and more.