Dan Villa was born and raised in Anaconda, Montana. He was elected to the Montana House of Representatives while attending college at Montana Tech where he earned a degree in Business and Information Technology. Dan served on the Business and Labor, Education, Appropriations and Agriculture committees as well as chairman of the House Rules Committee and Joint Appropriations Subcommittee on Education while in the state legislature. Governor Brian Schweitzer appointed Dan as his Education Policy Advisor and later as the State Budget Director. Governor Steve Bullock retained him as State Budget Director. He was elected President-elect of the National Association of State Budget Officers in 2018. Dan resigned as State Budget Director after being selected to serve as the Executive Director of the Montana Board of Investments.