MEET THE 2025 CAMPAIGN CHAIR: VIRGINIA VOUGHT

FUN FACTS ABOUT VIRGINIA!

  • If your life had a theme song, what would it be?
    “Meet Virginia”

  • What’s your favorite local restaurant or hidden gem in town?
    “I am a chai aficionado, and I think Eleventh House has the best one in town: Pistachio Iced Chai. (Though there are many great chais in town, and I buy them all.) I also love the Parisian feel of Reveille Coffee Bar. I also think the Purdue campus is a hidden gem of sorts – as a family friendly place to hang out on the weekend. It’s an amazing place for strollers, bicycles, and scooters – for a picnic – and of course, for a fountain run.”

  • What’s a hobby or interest of yours?
    “I did a ton of musical theater in the Indy area before my husband and I had kids, and classical piano was a big part of my life for a long time. My family and I are also really into Escape Rooms.”

  • If you could instantly learn any skill, what would it be?
    “Tennis, to play with my in-laws. Or to be an amazing swimmer. I learned two years ago and am having fun being a novice with my kids as they learn.”

  • What’s your most used phrase or catchphrase at work?
    “If we’re not having fun, what are we doing?”

WHY UNITED WAY?

  • What inspired you to step into the role of Campaign Chair this year?
    “My mother spent nearly all of her career at a United Way partner agency that helped children in crises. I grew up knowing how important United Way funds were to the organization and to the kids. So when Andrew Ball asked me to serve, that’s where my mind went first. (Ok, right after “Oh no, oh no, oh no.” Ha!) I saw a fit between the role and my work at Purdue, my prior work in grantmaking, my love of marketing, and my desire to help in ways that match my skills. I’ve never been a super-generous person. I’m not selfless. I’m not the person who will bring a homecooked meal to your home, much as I admire the people in my life who will. But I can write a check, and I can ask others to join us. This I can do. And I’m grateful for it.”

     

  • What does the theme “Give Local. See the Impact.” mean to you personally?
    “I’ve always admired the “Shop Local” movement. “Give Local” came to me when I was thinking about our challenge to help others realize that our United Way campaign is completely ours; I know others like me are thrown off by the national brand and think that some or all of the funds are flowing to another part of the country. I love that we can highlight how hyper-local this campaign is. The United Way is the O.G. crowdfunding. It’s our hometown campaign. I love to think of it that way.

    I also love that it reminds us to take care of our own. We get so many asks now, from all over the globe. And we should give globally. But we should put our own community’s oxygen mask on first. It should get as much or more of our attention. This is our community. This is our campaign. This is for our neighbors.”

  • In your opinion, what’s the biggest impact United Way has on our local community?
    “In my opinion, the most important thing the United Way does is mobilize an INCREDIBLE number of volunteers – board, cabinet, committees, and 100+ employer campaigns and their teams of volunteers – to raise an incredible, essential several million dollars. I hate to think where we’d be without this coordinated effort and funded agency partners.”

  • What do you hope people take away from this year’s campaign?
    “I would love for our community to feel more connected than ever through this campaign. So many individuals and companies across our community participate and make it happen.”