Angelia Pelham

Angelia Pelham wears many hats; she’s a wife of 35 years, a mother, an entrepreneur and a community leader. Pelham has had a successful career for the last 35 years as a human resources executive. She has served in executive HR roles at some of the world’s most iconic brands. Pelham has served as an executive at the Walt Disney World Company in Orlando, FL, early in her career. She then went on to serve as a vice president at such organizations as PepsiCo, Frito-Lay and Yum Brands. Later she served as the chief human resources officer for Main Event Entertainment, was named executive vice president & chief human resources officer for Cinemark Holdings and senior vice president & chief hr officer at Dave & Busters.  

After retiring from corporate America, Pelham launched a consulting firm, Real-Talk Executive Coaching & Development, with an office in Frisco. Her firm focuses on executive coaching of women in the workplace, strategic planning for executive teams and leadership training and development. Additionally, she is on the board of two private equity-backed portfolio companies, Great Point Partners based in Greenwich, CT.

As a community leader, Pelham was elected to the Frisco City Council in 2021 and served as the deputy mayor pro tem for two years. She was recently re-elected to her seat on the Frisco City Council in May of 2024. She has been instrumental in creating a more engaging and inclusive environment for all residents who call Frisco home. Pelham has chaired for the last 15 years the non-profit, Linking Cultures of Frisco, which hosts an annual Dr. Martin Luther King Jr Oration Gala providing over $100K in scholarships to Frisco High School juniors and seniors.  

Pelham is a native of Florida, born in Pensacola. She holds a BS from Florida State University and a master’s degree from Rollins College in Winter Park, FL. Pelham has been married to her college sweetheart for more than 35 years, and they have one daughter who is a recent graduate of Columbia University and starting UCLA School Law this fall. Pelham and her family enjoy traveling abroad and have visited 25 countries and counting.  

Based in: Frisco
Organization: Frisco City Council
Position: Council Member Place 3
Speaking topics: careers in public service, campaigning and elections, leadership as a woman in government, balancing elected responsibilities, entrepreneurship
Audience preferences: all
In-person or virtual: both
Preferred speaking format: any
Speaker fee: none

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Page last updated 1:09 PM, October 10, 2025