Veronica K. Meury

Vern Meury is currently Vice President and Executive Director of the Universal Technical Institute Foundation, a non profit organization dedicated to supporting students in their quest to complete technical training leading to career success.

Prior to joining UTI, Vern served as the Director of the SAE Foundation, Society of Automotive Engineers. The Foundation supported math, science and technology education programs from the elementary grades through graduate study. In this capacity she directed all foundation activities including a capital campaign which raised $15 million, a Manufacturing Leadership Award Banquet, which over 11 years honored key national and international automotive industry executives including, Rick Wagoner of GM and Sohichro Toyoda of Toyota. In addition, Vern directed the administration of over 83 awards and scholarships and built the net worth of the Foundation from $3 million to $20 million.

Vern was instrumental in the establishment of the SAE Foundation Canada and served as its first Executive Director. The foundation supported educational initiatives in all 13 Canadian Provinces and territories. She also helped direct the development and subsequently served as a founding board member of the SAE India Foundation.

Vern has been active in non-profit management for the past 30 years. Her prior positions include Director of Membership and Development for the Helen Clay Frick Foundation and founding Executive Director of TRIO, Transplant Recipients International Organization, an international health care agency which under her direction grew to over forty chapters in the US and four foreign countries.

She has been a frequent presenter at numerous national and international conferences. She has served as a founding board member of the Industry, University, Government Roundtable for Enhancing Engineering Education and the Department of Transportation Garrett A. Morgan Technology and Transportation Futures program. She served on the National Science Foundation and the Health, Research and Services Administration federal review panels and as a member of the Foundation Corporate Alliance in Washington, DC.

Vern is a graduate of Leadership Pittsburgh, is listed in Who’s Who of American Women and has received numerous awards for volunteer service including the Anne D. Johnson Award from the Junior League for her work as national coordinator of Second Chance, a health/corporate alliance to build organ donor awareness. In this capacity, Vern was also honored by Health and Human Services Secretary, Margaret Heckler and US Surgeon General Antonia Novello.

Vern and her husband John have three sons and four grandchildren.