Name: Veronica Meury
Title: VP & Executive Director
Organization: Universal Technical Institute Foundation

Vital Stats: Married; born Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania on March 18, 1946; three sons and soon to have a fifth grandchild.

First or Most Interesting Job: My most interesting job was as director of the Society of Automotive Engineers Foundation. I had the opportunity to work with a host of industry pioneers like Col. John Stapp, who strapped himself into a rocket sled to test the body's ability to withstand G-forces, thereby proving that jet plane ejection seats with proper seat restraints would work. He translated this research into the first seat belts in cars which has saved countless lives.

Hobbies/Favorite Pastime: Travel, cooking for family and friends, being the support team for my husband's hiking adventures, and football.

Your Path to Philanthropy: I started as the chair of a Junior League community project that brought a large university medical center, local TV station, and League volunteers together to promote a national organ donor awareness TV show and 24-hour hotline. I helped develop a one-hour program "Second Chance" that was aired in primetime. The popularity of the program resulted in the creation of an 800 hotline where people could call after the program aired with questions and to obtain more information about organ donation. The program then aired on CBS affiliates across the nation and caught the attention of First Lady Barbara Bush. The First Lady invited me to a reception at the White House to recognize my work to raise awareness of children and adults who have received transplants. Out of this project grew an international non-profit to aid transplant families and I became its first Executive Director.

Favorite Quote or Motto: "A small group of thoughtful people could change the world. Indeed, it's the only thing that ever has." -Margaret Mead

Organization Spotlight:

Name: Universal Technical Institute (UTI) Foundation

The UTI Foundation, a 501(c)(3) Arizona non-profit, is the umbrella organization for all Universal Technical Institute, Inc. not-for-profit initiatives and is dedicated to supporting technical education for the automotive, diesel, collision repair, motorcycle, marine and NASCAR industries and to helping students achieve their dream of a technical education.

The mission of the UTI Foundation is to enable individuals to complete technical training leading to career success through scholarships, grants, life-long learning, career development and other special programs. Since it became operational in 2007, the UTI Foundation has provided more than $1.5 million in scholarship and grant support.

To learn more about the UTI Foundation, visit www.utifoundation.net.