Emery Ivery: A Who’s Who of United Way Suncoast

With family, friends and colleagues by his side, Emery Ivery wrapped up his sterling career at United Way Suncoast Sept. 8 with a celebration at Maggiano’s restaurant.

A who’s who of United Way Suncoast board members, individual donors and strategic community partners came out to salute Ivery, who’s ending his 16-year tenure with the organization as the Chief Impact Officer for Financial Stability and Support Services. Well-wishers praised Emery for his leadership, collaborative will and compassion, a fitting tribute for someone who first started with United Way of Cleveland in 1985.

They also sang Happy Birthday for the executive, who turned a year older on Sept. 7.

United Way Suncoast CEO Jessica Muroff saluted Emery with a grand announcement. Framed photos of Emery with a description of his commitment will be placed in our Sulphur Springs, North Greenwood and Campbell Park Neighborhood Resource Centers. The centers represent one of Emery’s signature accomplishments with United Way Suncoast. The inscription with the photos will read as follows:

For nearly 40 years, a passion for helping families drove Emery Ivery. Inspired by his own humble beginnings in his native Cleveland, he brought a desire to do more for people to United Way in 1985. This marathon of service took him on a path from Cleveland to Tacoma, Wash., to Orlando and finally to Tampa Bay, where he spent the last 16 years rising through the ranks to Chief Impact Officer. Along the way, he created lasting community change, specifically seeking to deliver services to people where they lived. He deduced that the best way to help our neighbors was to join them in the neighborhoods. He placed his passion into our place-based initiatives, and he insisted the services be delivered with dignity. Why? Because while he saw struggle in those neighborhoods, he also saw beauty. He saw love flourishing in homes, care coursing through communities and people bonding together. With United Way Suncoast, his aim was to create more of those positive scenes. In helping to establish this center, he converted the building into a beacon of hope. Emery’s leadership in creating meaningful partnerships with the Pinellas and Hillsborough school districts helped elevate the lives of thousands of students. His ability to engender corporate support strengthened United Way Suncoast across the region. His acumen proved invaluable as United Way Tampa Bay merged with area affiliates to expand its footprint and become United Way Suncoast. Through it all, his focus remained on that singular goal: attacking the root causes of community issues. That passion always drove him. Emery’s unyielding devotion to our community made him an invaluable servant leader, not just to United Way Suncoast, but to the entire region. His leadership has meant the world to a generation of United Way supporters and community members. His legacy lies in the work that continues to lift up children and families in Campbell Park, Sulphur Springs, and North Greenwood every day.

 Emery will take some time off before pursuing his encore career. We wish him well.

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