Diana Villarnovo Lopez, J78, A25P
Diana Villarnovo Lopez has been a senior advisor and general counsel to multi-national corporations, public agencies, non-profits, boards and executives throughout her career.
Most recently, Diana was Senior Vice President and General Counsel at New York State Homes and Community Renewal, New York’s affordable housing agency. Previously, Diana served in President Biden’s administration as Senior Advisor to the Administrator at the Federal Railroad Administration of the U.S. Department of Transportation; General Counsel & Secretary for Gateway Program Development Corporation; and Senior Advisor to the Executive Director of The Port Authority of New York & New Jersey leading critical aspects of the public private partnership for the redevelopment of LaGuardia Airport. Diana’s public service included serving in President Obama’s administration as Senior Advisor to the Assistant Secretary of State for Economic, Energy & Business Affairs at the U.S. Department of State.
Before her government service, Diana was Counsel, Mergers & Acquisitions, at Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom LLP and instrumental in establishing the firm’s Latin America practice. Diana was Associate General Counsel and Vice President of Sotheby’s, Inc. She advised Sotheby’s on financing the purchase of Vincent Van Gogh’s Les Irises. Diana began her legal career as a judicial law clerk to The Honorable John E. Sprizzo, U.S. District Judge for the Southern District of New York, then joined Debevoise & Plimpton as a corporate associate.
Diana, who is a native Spanish speaker and fluent in French, earned her Bachelor of Arts cum laude from Tufts University; a Juris Doctor from Georgetown University, where she was the Lead Articles Editor for The Tax Lawyer; and a Master of Science in Foreign Service, also from Georgetown University.
Diana is a member of the Tufts Alumni Council, having served for many years on its Executive Committee. She is a founding member of the Tufts New York Women’s Networking Group and active in the Latin American Alumni of Tufts University and the Tufts Lawyers Association.
Diana has served on the Tufts University Board of Trustees since 2014.
Diana and her husband have three daughters and live in Brooklyn, New York.
Revised March 2024