Tanya Edwards

Tanya Edwards has served as Executive Vice President of the SouthWest Region for the American Heart Association since October 2019. In this role she is charting a bold path forward for the health of communities in Arkansas, Colorado, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Texas and Wyoming. Working alongside volunteers across the region, she is responsible for delivering mission impact through strategic excellence in revenue generation, leadership cultivation, staff development, community health initiatives and business operations.

Tanya began her nonprofit career with the American Cancer Society before joining the American Heart Association in 1999 as a local Heart Walk director. She has been with the Association for over 26 years, holding leadership positions of increasing responsibility at both the national and regional levels. She quickly established herself as a dynamic leader and visionary for the organization, going on to serve as Senior Vice President, Corporate and Youth Market for the Texas Affiliate in 2004, where she helped grow the SouthWest into the #1 Youth Market region in the country. Stepping into the role of Chief Corporate Development Officer for the region in 2007, she built the SouthWest into a powerhouse, with Dallas recognized as the top-performing market nationwide.

As National Senior Vice President of Field Campaigns from 2012 to 2016, she led all field fundraising activities, generating $80 million in new campaign dollars over five years and $1.8 billion in combined revenue. Her team also launched new national programs such as CycleNation and Life Is Why We Give, connecting corporations to the mission through innovative strategies.

From 2016 to 2019, she served as National Executive Vice President of Development and Health, where she led efforts that generated more than $450 million annually as the Association’s senior revenue executive. Her team continued to launch and rebrand key initiatives, including transforming the 40-year-old Jump Rope for Heart program into the Kids Heart Challenge, and creating the Heart Challenge, the umbrella campaign for corporate fundraising initiatives. Under her leadership, the team also closed a historic $15 million national sponsorship with CVS Health, advancing education and research for women’s heart health.

Through her visionary leadership, strategic acumen, and unwavering commitment to the mission, Tanya continues to shape the future of the Association by driving transformative impact and inspiring a culture of excellence across the SouthWest region and beyond.