Veronica Creech

Raleigh, NC — The President of Saint Augustine’s University (SAU) Dr. Christine Johnson McPhail is pleased to announce that Veronica Creech will be joining the President’s Office as the institution’s inaugural Vice President of Economic Development and External Engagement. Ms. Creech comes to the University after leading the Office of Economic Development & Innovation at the City of Raleigh. While there she and her team crafted the City’s equitable economic development strategy which included creating a Raleigh Prosperity Index, standing up the Raleigh Business Alliance, and laying the foundation for the City’s move to community economic development.

Her work with the City of Raleigh included the creation, implementation and distribution of the $1.6 million COVID relief fund; supporting the Raleigh Business Alliance which includes 12 economic development engines across the city; and she worked with 30-40 active projects resulting in over 10,000 new jobs and attracting more than $3 billion in investments over the last three years.

Before her tenure in Raleigh, Veronica invested her education, diverse skills, and passion in two DC based nonprofits that increase equity, access, and wealth especially for low resourced families and communities. Ms. Creech readily admits, “Mission driven work is where my heart and head are most engaged while creating a more equitable world is my calling.”

Veronica immigrated from Guyana, South America to the US as a child and is a first-generation college graduate earning a master’s in social work (MSW) from the University of North Carolina and a master’s in public administration (MPA) from Saint Louis University. With her husband Martin Evans, Veronica also leads a social venture that provides safe, clean, affordable rental housing through Creech Communities, LLC.

Regarding the appointment of Ms. Creech, President McPhail said, “Transformational change is defining SAUs emerging future, therefore the effectiveness of our leadership team will be largely defined by our ability to reimagine ourselves and navigate the new reality.” She added, “We welcome Veronica Creech to the leadership team as Vice President for Economic Development and External Engagement as she brings a wealth of experience to help SAU navigate the unprecedented economic development changes that are taking place in the city and the region. Her wide range of experience in the field makes Veronica an ideal complement to our team, and I look forward to working with her as she uses her skills and talents to generate an impactful change to advance SAU’s prominence in higher education on a global scale.”

“Being appointed by Dr. McPhail to serve SAU, her trustees, students, faculty, staff and greater community is an absolute honor. I am thrilled to bring my best to the efforts that will create sustainability for the university for generations to come.”