Erica Villarreal Ekwurzel

Chief of Staff

Erica Villarreal Ekwurzel, MPAff, CAP® is Chief of Staff at the Trellis Foundation, playing a pivotal role in advancing the organization’s strategic and operational goals. With over two decades of experience in organizational change, strategic planning, and philanthropic leadership, she brings a wealth of expertise in managing complex projects and cultivating high-impact partnerships. She serves as Secretary to the Trellis Foundation board of directors, is a Grantmakers for Effective Organization’s 2025 Change Leaders in Philanthropy fellow, and a member of The New Philanthropists Legacy Leadership Circle. Erica is a graduate of Austin College and the Lyndon B. Johnson School of Public Affairs at The University of Texas at Austin, where she earned her master’s degree in public affairs with a certificate in nonprofit management and philanthropic studies from the RGK Center for Philanthropy and Community Service. As a first-generation college graduate, advancing the mission of Trellis Foundation is a personal and meaningful opportunity to pay it forward to future generations of learners.