About

Vera Turner is a modern-day renaissance woman. She is an accomplished nonprofit leader, media maven, yoga instructor and a dynamic speaker.

Media Maven
Born and raised in the small southern town of Franklin, Virginia, Vera overcame her humble beginnings to launch a successful career, which spans over 30 years. Vera entered the broadcasting arena in the late 1980s with a brief stint as a radio announcer for WYCB in Washington, DC. She moved on to key positions as a financial manager and fundraiser at PBS stations WNET in New York City, WQED Multimedia in Pittsburgh, Maryland Public Television in Owings Mills and at the PBS national office in Arlington, Virginia. As a fundraiser, Vera helped to raise millions of dollars for public broadcasting.  As an entrepreneur, producer and host of the award-winning Life Notes Television program, Vera earned 11 Telly Awards for outstanding local and regional cable programming.

Servant Leader
Vera is passionate about helping others. The spark for service was ignited early in her career with her first job as a Program Analyst at the United Way National Capital Area followed by service in Prince George’s County Government.  A first-generation college graduate and lifelong learner, Vera is a champion of girls and women and committed to helping students from socially and economically disadvantaged backgrounds realize their full potential. Vera has served as a mentor and role model to students and young professionals, and spearheaded national initiatives that helped aspiring women educational leaders move up the career ladder.

Inspirational Speaker
An engaging communicator, Vera connects with people from all walks of life.  She uses her unique brand of inspiration and wit to present powerful and enduring messages of hope, faith, courage, and determination.  Her innovative presentations have received rave reviews from audiences at national and international conferences, universities, schools, and at community events.

Yoga Teacher
Vera began her fitness journey in 1998 when training for the Marine Corps Marathon and continued an active lifestyle after finishing the race. When diagnosed with high blood pressure, she incorporated yoga into her fitness program to relieve stress. Inspired by the positive effects that yoga had in her own life, she became a yoga teacher to help others lead healthier more meaningful lives.

Education
Vera has a M.A. degree in public management from the University of Maryland at College Park and B.A. degree in urban studies from Virginia Tech.