United Way of Tucson and Southern Arizona Taps Vanecia Kerr as Next President, CEO

United Way of Tucson and Southern Arizona announced that Vanecia Kerr, currently Chief Impact Officer of Denver’s Mile High United Way, will assume the role of president and CEO of United Way of Tucson and Southern Arizona beginning June 23.  

Following a national search, the United Way board voted unanimously to extend an offer to Kerr on Apr. 29, which was accepted and followed by a meet and greet for United Way of Tucson board members, officers and staff.

After current President and CEO Tony Penn announced last October that he would be stepping down at the end of June of this year, a six-member search committee was formed to begin the process of recruiting his successor.  A national search firm was retained and, ultimately, 144 candidates were vetted by the search committee.

Prior to joining Mile High United Way, Kerr served as the regional executive director of College Track Colorado where she worked to empower more than 500 high school and college students on a path to a four-year college degree with stellar results. Prior to College Track, she served as the managing director of marketing, communications and development for City Year Denver, an organization that helps to develop skills and talents among students in K-12 schools to contribute to strong and vibrant communities.

Kerr started her career in the corporate sector and spent more than 20 years in a variety of leadership roles that included business-to-business sales as well as relationship management with top-tier clients –mostly notable colleges, universities, and nonprofit organizations – whose assets ranged from $200 million to $800 million. It was through her experience in developing and implementing the community relations strategy as the regional director of community affairs for the Fortune 100 company TIAA-CREF that she was inspired to spend the next part of her career dedicated to addressing needs in local communities.  

Kerr has been recognized as the 9News Leader of the Year by the Denver Metro Chamber Leadership Foundation (2023), Woman of Impact by the American Heart Association (2022), one of the Top 25 Most Powerful Women by the Colorado Women’s Chamber of Commerce (2018) and one of the Outstanding Women in Business by the Denver Business Journal (2018).

Kerr is a frequently sought after public speaker, credited with more than 300 speaking engagements to audiences ranging from 20 to 2,000 people. Highlights include serving as a keynote speaker, expert panelist, and facilitator for various local and national organizations, including the Clinton Global Initiative and Boston College’s Center for Corporate Citizenship. She is a member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc., The Links Incorporated, International Women’s Forum of Colorado, and Jack and Jill of America, Inc. She received her bachelor’s degree in political science from Hampton University in Virginia and an MPA from Baruch College at the City University of New York.

In her spare time, she likes to volunteer, serve in her local church, watch movies, and enjoy outdoor activities with her husband and 23-year-old son. 

“I am humbled and grateful to have been named as incoming president and CEO of United Way of Tucson and Southern Arizona and for the opportunity to serve such an outstanding organization in a vibrant and beautiful region,” Kerr said.  “As I prepare to assume my new role, I look forward to hearing from our local staff, officers, board, and community members as we plan to build on the impact that United Way has had in this community for more than a century.  And I am grateful for Tony Penn’s leadership over these past 15 years. He has done so much to put United Way of Tucson and Southern Arizona on a firm footing which I look forward to building on.”

“We are thrilled that Vanecia has decided to accept the position of president and CEO of United Way of Tucson and Southern Arizona, and I look forward to welcoming her and her family to the Southern Arizona region where she will take our organization to new heights of caring and serving families, our children, older adults, and vulnerable individuals and communities which has been the hallmark of her career,” Penn said. “As I said last year, I’m not riding off into the sunset, but will be around to continue serving our community in many ways, and that includes introducing Vanecia to our region and the many who make it an incredible place to live, work and raise families.”