Veronica Frehm

Our Q & A with Veronica

Tell us a little about your professional journey.

I stepped into the role of Chief Executive Officer of Friends of MacArthur Beach State Park with a clear purpose: to implement thoughtful, sustainable changes that foster a healthy, collaborative, and motivating work environment for the team, knowing that strong internal culture is the foundation for meaningful impact. By strengthening how the organization operates, I wanted to ensure we are doing the most good possible, protecting and celebrating this special place while expanding our ability to educate and inspire generations to come.

What inspired you to join Executive Women of the Palm Beaches Foundation?

I was drawn to this organization because I have heard great things about the strength and diversity of the women involved. Being in a space where accomplished, thoughtful women support and empower one another is both motivating and grounding, and it reinforces my belief that we do our best work when we surround ourselves with incredible people. I value environments where learning, collaboration, and mutual growth are prioritized.

What’s one accomplishment you’re most proud of?

Something I am deeply proud of is being part of a nonprofit that is able to make such a meaningful difference in the lives of the students in Palm Beach County. Through our environmental education program at John D. MacArthur Beach State Park, the only state park in Palm Beach County, we serve more than 4,000 students each year, the majority of whom are from Title I schools. Because of the Friends underwriting, these students are able to learn in the park as a living laboratory completely free of charge. For many, this is their very first time seeing the ocean or spending meaningful time in nature. It is incredibly fulfilling to help provide that opportunity and to share what I love most with the next generation. I truly believe that you can’t protect something you don’t know or love, and for many of these students, this experience is the first step toward becoming lifelong environmental stewards.

What advice would you give to other women leaders in Palm Beach County?

I don’t know that I have advice for other women leaders in our community, because I am constantly learning from those around me. What I can say is, how continually impressed I am by this community and the women within it. Over the years, I’ve watched women here create, lead, and do truly amazing things for the organizations they serve, and it is incredibly empowering to see. Leaders who choose collaboration over competition, who take the time to lift each other up, are the ones I admire most. That spirit of support and shared success is what makes this community so special.

What’s something fun or surprising about you that most people don’t know?

I went to the University of Florida to study film and photography. After a few years working in the film industry, I realized that it was not exactly my dream career. I took a hiking trip with my dad to Yosemite National Park while I was trying to figure out my next move. While we were there, I saw a group of students on a field trip, and that moment completely changed things for me. After working at various outdoor education centers in different states, I came back to Palm Beach County, where I grew up, to get my master’s degree in environmental education and the rest is history. In the end, it all worked out, because I still use my media background all the time to highlight the amazing things happening at the Park… just in a way that feels much more meaningful to me.