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Leadership Veronica Atkins-Mersentes Chair, Dr. Robert C. and Veronica Atkins Foundation When Dr. Robert Atkins died in 2003, his wife Veronica became chair of his foundation. She vowed at that time not only to continue her husband's mission to positively impact disease prevention and health management, but also to support his clinical legacy with scientific evidence. Since then, Mrs. Atkins-Mersentes has emerged as a passionate advocate for children's health, working with the Foundation to eradicate childhood Obesity and Type II diabetes. Mrs. Atkins-Mersentes is actively involved in the Foundation's grantee selection process. Through this process, she helps to fund independent scientific and clinical research, education programs, public health advocacy initiatives, and endowed professorships. To reflect her dedication and dynamic, hands-on leadership, the Foundation was renamed the Dr. Robert C. and Veronica Atkins Foundation. One of the nation's most generous women, Mrs. Atkins-Mersentes was named by Newsweek to its 2006 Philanthropy's All-Star Team along with 13 other notable philanthropists including Bill Gates, Oprah Winfry, and Michael J. Fox. Business Week ranked her 17th in its 2006 list of the "50 Most Generous Philanthropists," and The New York Times featured her in an article about top medical philanthropists. In addition, she was among a select group invited to join the 2006 Clinton Global Initiative. Veronica Atkins-Mersentes was born in Russia and, during World War II, fled the war-torn country with her family to Vienna. To this day, she continues to support several Russian orphanages. Mrs. Atkins-Mersentes has lived in seven countries (and has become fluent in as many languages), and she gained extensive knowledge of international cuisine. She is a master gourmet cook, and as the co-author of two cookbooks, Mrs. Atkins-Mersentes considers her controlled carbohydrate style of cooking a continuation of her love affair with food. Her feature articles on a variety of nutrition-related public health issues have appeared in newspapers nationwide. Music has also played an import role in Mrs. Atkins-Mersentes' life. She began singing in Europe at a young age and performed as a professional opera singer for 13 years. Mrs. Atkins-Mersentes lives in Florida with her husband, Alexis Mersentes. |
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The Dr. Robert C. and Veronica Atkins Foundation c/o NPT, 165 Township Line Road, Suite 150, Jenkintown, PA 19046-3593 |