Murthy Law Firm founder and president, Sheela Murthy, is an active member of the United Way of Central Maryland’s (UWCM) Tocqueville Society, which honors major donors who have shown exemplary generosity in their annual giving. She recently attended two of its events.
Murthy attended the April 11th Tocqueville Leaders Gathering at the Willard Hotel in Washington D.C., a national conference that brought together some of the United Way’s most important political and philanthropic partners from around the country. The conference focused on educational initiatives that have flourished with United Way support, and discussed ways to promote the growth of Tocqueville Society membership and collaboration, nationally and internationally, among United Way chapters.
Murthy also attended UWCM’s In Their Own Words lecture series, a May 13th Tocqueville Society breakfast that was held at Baltimore’s Center Club. The Murthy Law Firm is proud to have been a sponsor of this event. The guest of honor and featured speaker was Dr. Dallas Dance, Superintendent of the Baltimore County Public Schools, who discussed the educational and socioeconomic challenges facing his district – and many others around the country – and the efforts he has undertaken to meet these challenges.
The goal of public education, Dr. Dance said, is to prepare globally competitive graduates, people equipped to succeed in the worldwide digital economy. This requires an emphasis on digital and multicultural learning, and a bridging of the achievement gap for students in poorly performing schools. It means addressing the whole child, to meet the social-emotional needs of children and their families.
When Ms. Murthy took the podium to thank Dr. Dance for his inspirational words, she remarked that it should be “a no-brainer” to invest in education, because we surely will pay the price if we do not. Murthy then took time to explain why she is involved with the United Way: because it is unique among charities in its ability to look at the big picture and take a comprehensive approach to solving social problems. United Way does not simply address one issue at a time, Murthy said, but works across several domains to attack complex problems at their roots. She finished with a rousing appeal to her fellow Tocqueville Society members: if you want to change the world for the better, increase your giving to the United Way, and support this important work!
Murthy’s impassioned plea for funding is backed by her example, which speaks for itself: she contributes a great deal of her time, energy, and personal resources to making the world a better place, serving on the boards of several major nonprofits and providing active leadership and unstinting financial support. Over the years, she has shown singular generosity to the United Way of Central Maryland, serving on its board of directors and chairing United Way Worldwide’s Leadership Council for India, of which she is a founding member.
Murthy also has focused a tremendous share of her philanthropic resources on education and children’s issues, not only through substantial donations to the United Way, but also through the support she channels to schools and child-centered nonprofits through the family charity she has built with her husband, the MurthyNAYAK Foundation. Positive social transformation that is making the world a better place, one child at a time!
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