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Chris Luna quotes a friend of his who was advocating for more leaders from corporate America making their way into the nonprofit space.
“‘Nonprofit’ is a tax status, not a business model,” Luna recites. “We need people who are great in business to make the shift into this space.”
The current president and CEO of the SPCA of Texas has little to prove. He is a four-time “Dallas 500” alum for most influential leaders in Dallas-Fort Worth. He won the “Maestro in Leadership” award from Latino Leaders Magazine. He received a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Texas Lawbook and Association of Corporate Counsel DFW Chapter.
Those are just awards in the 2020s.
In coming to the SPCA of Texas, Luna is determined to help progress the efforts of an organization he has donated to and been part of for years. This is not a role to round out his career, it is a passion point that he can pour himself into. Luna is here to drive meaningful change..
His oversight now extends to a $20 million organization with 170 employees, delivering comprehensive animal care services including adoptions, spay/neuter clinics, cruelty investigations, and more. His approach emphasizes communication, coordination, and collaboration with the community, partners, staff, donors, and the hundreds of volunteers who make the SPCA of Texas’s work possible.
A major focus, at present, is the planned expansion of a 39,000 square-foot facility featuring a surgery suite, a forensics lab for animal cruelty investigations, adoption center, and 254 kennels for dogs and cats.
“When you think about animal welfare organizations like us, there is a lot more going on than the average person realizes,” Luna says. “In people terms, we are like a homeless shelter, a medical clinic, an adoption center, and because of our animal cruelty investigative team, we are also a bit like a police department.”
What does the Texas SPCA President want you to know about the organization?
“We can always use financial donations, and we also need your time,” Chris Luna explains. “Last year, we had over 43,000 hours of volunteer time donated. If not for them, we would have to be spending dollars on staff. If you can give, please give. Maybe that’s money, or maybe that’s walking a dog a few times a week. Go read to our cats. The wife of a good friend of mine goes in once a week to do laundry for all the bedding that has to be cleaned regularly. That’s invaluable. There are so many ways to be of service, and we hope you’ll consider us.”
Not everyone can adopt a pet, but there are foster programs, and even a “Borrow a Buddy” program that allows people to take a pet home for a weekend.
“Whenever you can get the animals out of the shelter, it’s better for their mental health, adoptability, and long-term health,” Luna says.
The expansion is part of Care Unleashed, a $31 million capital campaign that was recently announced publicly, having already raised more than 75 percent of its goal. The campaign will provide more space for all these endeavors for an organization that Luna says is consistently running at 120 percent capacity. Ideally, though, that need for space won’t continue to outmatch supply. Luna notes that while the SPCA of Texas finds homes for thousands of animals each year, the organization is equally committed to helping pets stay right where they belong, at home with their families.
The organization gave about 191,000 pounds of free food last year. They also provide spaying and neutering services, at heavily discounted rates or even free of charge. The organization also has a program that helps with pet deposits for apartment rental complexes. It may seem small, but for those living paycheck to paycheck, it can be the difference between a pet being able to stay with its owner and being given up for adoption.
“There are people deciding between food for themselves and for their pets. Healthcare for themselves or their pets. Living conditions for themselves or their pets. If we can help a person who loves and cares for their pet, we will do everything we can to keep that pet in a loving home. Obviously, there are cases where the pet needs to be removed from a situation. And I credit the amazing team here with being able to understand the difference.”
Luna was asked to lead the SPCA of Texas after an extensive nationwide search, and the results of his two years of leadership were the most noticeable in 2025. The organization had its lowest turnover on record. The president advocates for professional development opportunities for staff, restructuring to break down silos, and fostering stronger teamwork and transparency across the organization.
Luna says that when he was being interviewed for the role, he was frank. If the organization wanted an animal welfare expert, he should not be their first choice. But if they wanted someone who could manage, lead, motivate, and innovate, then he wanted a chance to help move the organization forward. “I love data, metrics, and benchmarking,” Luna says. “I use those tools to help us innovate and decide where to put our resources. “In the words of Dr. W. Edwards Deming, ‘In God we trust. All others must bring data.’”
He adds that the leap reflects his belief in thinking outside the box and seizing opportunities. It is the same mindset that fuels his nonprofit leadership today, shaping the SPCA of Texas’s evolving, community-focused mission to create a brighter future for animals, people, and the community.
And for those who, like Luna, have had significant success in the corporate world, he beckons them to try something new.
“I’m here to tell you, if you have done well in the business world, you can do well in the nonprofit world or government service,” the president explains. “If exceptional people only stay in the private sector, what kind of a world are we creating?”
Luna’s message is clear: by bringing business acumen, data-driven strategy, and a willingness to innovate, leaders can transform communities. At the SPCA of Texas, that transformation means lives saved, families kept whole, and a stronger North Texas for all.
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