We are thrilled to announce that the Skin of Color Society has brought on Veronica T. Holmes Purvis to serve as Associate Executive Director, beginning January 4, 2021.

Veronica is a dynamic, experienced professional who has had a substantial career in non-profit STEM associations for the past twenty years, with a special emphasis on strategic management, marketing communications and creating exceptional experiences for members.

Veronica’s Virtual Family Meeting

Learn more about Veronica in this Q & A…

SOCS: What drew you into your chosen field?

VP: I majored in communication in undergrad and then acquired a master of science in management and marketing, which is a fun and challenging career. I love the field of marketing communications because you get to wear multiple hats; you need to know what’s happening across the organization and work cross-functionally with many different team members and stakeholders. I was drawn to the communications field as a whole because it is truly fascinating in its simplicity and complexity, and throughout my career, I’ve seen its profound importance to an organization—internally and externally.

SOCS: What do you enjoy about working in nonprofit STEM association management?

VP: I’ve learned so much from working with non-profit STEM association management over two decades. I love working with the smartest people in the world: the researchers, the scientists, the doctors, the engineers…professionals who are very passionate about what they’re doing to improve our existence, our health, and our communities across industries and across borders. That is what’s so exciting— learning from them, listening carefully, feeding off their passion and applying actionable insights to move the mission forward.

Veronica and her daughter, Stone

 SOCS: What are some career highlights that you’re particularly proud of that you’d like members to know about?

VP: I’m very proud of the Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) work I’m currently contributing to on the American Marketing Association’s DEI committee. In my most recent position as the Director of Marketing for the American Council of Engineering Companies (ACEC), our department’s new martech and multichannel approach helped to garner record attendance at our virtual events, including our annual conference, webinars and online courses. In my work for the American Physiological Society (APS) as Director of Marketing, I worked with different departments, recruited a record number of new members, spearheaded member recruitment/retention initiatives, and led an award-winning, rebranding campaign that represented a whole new strategic direction for the organization. At the Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology (FASEB), where I was Manager of AdNet and Marketing, I was very proud to lead a sales team and advertising department to hit $1,000,000 in ad sales in a down economy. While that was a big victory, what was especially rewarding about this achievement was the tremendous teamwork that we experienced in reaching what was an exciting goal at the time. There are other examples to share, but common themes running through all my career highlights are that I always try to see things from the members’ perspective and I pride myself on collaborating with all stakeholders, working together to achieve a shared vision.

Veronica and her husband, Lance

 SOCS: What particularly excites you about working with SOCS?

VP: The work of the Society resonates with me on many levels, and I am truly excited about having such a unique and meaningful opportunity. I am passionate about celebrating diversity in all aspects of our world. I am truly honored to be working with SOCS in a leadership role, knowing that I will be working with some of the brightest and most dedicated people in the field, I know that I will be greatly inspired and energized by this role in such an incredible organization, whose work is so important! I am truly looking forward to the work ahead in strategic planning, membership growth and communications, partnership building, program development, and working to fulfill the mission of SOCS.

SOCS: Please share anything else about you and your life.
VP: I am a DC native; I met my husband in college and we have three children. I’m a lifelong learner who’s always looking to self-improve!

Veronica with her sons, Tate (left) and Gage.

We warmly welcome Veronica to the Skin of Color Society family!

Connect with Veronica on social media: LinkedIn
Twitter: @vpurvis
Reach Veronica: vpurvis@skinofcolorsociety.org

Read Veronica’s full bio here.