Mayan Hands honors the memory of our dear friend, Board member and past Board president, Vera Eccarius-Kelly, who ended her long and courageous battle with cancer in December 2025.

Vera was an extraordinary person whose brilliance and fierce compassion touched many lives. As a board member and Board President, Vera’s thoughtful leadership helped guide Mayan Hands through leadership transitions and strategic planning, while reinforcing our commitment to social justice through fair trade. To know Vera was to be inspired by her; she modeled a purpose-driven life, rich with connection and laughter. 

Vera's lasting legacy at Mayan Hands: Make a gift in her memory

Mayan Hands has established a scholarship fund in Vera’s name. Each year this scholarship will fund tuition and supplies for a student in our artisan partner community. 

If you would like to contribute to a cause near to Vera’s heart, your gift will honor Vera by investing in the dreams and aspirations of Maya girls and young women, sending them the message: our global community stands with you on your path of learning and personal development. 

We invite you to make a gift today, in memory of Vera.  Donations to Mayan Hands are tax-deductible.

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In Vera's memory, we share three reflections from members of Mayan Hands' team and board, celebrating Vera's impact:

Approaching the world with compassion, curiosity, and courage

Mark Van Wormer, current Board President: 

To say that Vera was a longtime and deeply devoted supporter of Mayan Hands doesn't come close to capturing the spirit and tireless energy she brought to her lifelong pursuit of social and economic justice. She played a vital role in forging the partnership between Mayan Hands and Siena College, helping Siena become the third officially recognized Fair Trade College in the nation. Her commitment to fair trade extended far beyond campus—she worked at the national level with Fair Trade Colleges and Universities, always pushing for deeper engagement and broader understanding.

Vera’s love of teaching, and her passion for connecting the classroom to the wider world, shaped countless lives. In 2018, she mentored her student Billy Mayer through his senior capstone project, a needs assessment grounded in visits and interviews with artisans in Guatemala. This work gave voice to our artisan partners and their families, helping us better understand their experiences and incorporate their perspectives into our planning. It laid an important foundation for our current strategic plan and affirmed the strength and impact of fair trade principles within our organization.

She was also instrumental during a pivotal leadership transition, guiding Mayan Hands with care and clarity as Anne Kelly concluded her tenure as the organization’s first Executive Director. Under Vera’s steady and thoughtful leadership, our board grew stronger, more focused, and more effective.

Beyond her service to Mayan Hands, Vera was a fierce and unwavering advocate—for fair trade, for refugees, and for justice in all its forms.

As a regular panelist on WAMC’s The Roundtable, Vera brought a voice that was clear, informed, and at times provocative—never afraid to challenge assumptions or stand firmly in her convictions. As a beloved professor of political science and international relations at Siena, she inspired her students to approach the world with compassion, curiosity, and courage. She challenged them to think critically, act with purpose, and commit themselves to making a difference. Many have carried her lessons forward, shaping lives and careers grounded in the values she embodied.

I will always remember Vera’s determination and warmth—her bright smile, her wonderful laugh, our shared love of good (fair trade) coffee, and above all, her boundless and generous spirit.

A fierce advocate for justice

Laurie Naranch, Board member and former Board Interim President 

I cannot thank Vera enough for bringing me into the ethical and empowering work of Mayan Hands. As a fellow Board member and her Vice President, I was lucky to work with such a strong advocate for both artisans and staff. As a colleague in the Political Science & International Relations department at Siena University, it was an incredible privilege to travel with Vera and our undergraduate students to Guatemala with Mayan Hands. Our last trip was in 2019 and I am so saddened to know that we will never again have that experience. I have Vera to thank for the rich, meaningful, and relevant research she conducted with students interested in fair trade, Maya women’s empowerment, and cultural preservation. As a Comparative Political Scientist she dedicated much of her research and publications to indigenous voices with her work in Mexico and Guatemala.

A fluent and witty Spanish speaker, Vera modeled co-presence and cooperation in our meetings with Maya artisans and the community groups we had the privilege to visit. She was a fierce advocate for justice and the best of a scholar-activist.

I will miss the often-quirky, tight quarters where we stayed with students. I will miss her ability to adjust on the fly when the unexpected happens during travel, and to make it even better than planned. I will miss a travel companion who brought students into the work in an ethical, meaningful, and impactful way. I will miss her loving intensity and drive to make the world a better place, one person, one community, one day at a time.

Full-circle connections & the power of women to create change

Diane Yoder, Business Manager

Vera is one of the two remarkable women who are responsible for bringing me to Mayan Hands. I first met Vera as a student at Siena College. I was a non-traditional student, returning to complete a long-unfinished degree. While taking her course on U.S. Foreign Policy in Latin America, she mentioned that she would be leading a trip to Guatemala later that year. I immediately signed up, anticipating a unique and educational travel experience. Little did I know, it would completely change the trajectory of my life.

That first trip set off a chain of events that led me to my current role at Mayan Hands. And then, in a true full-circle moment, Vera joined the Mayan Hands board. Getting to work alongside her in recent years, in service of a mission we both cared so deeply about, has been a real gift. 

This work suited Vera perfectly. She believed deeply in the power of women to create change, and she loved the beauty of the handmade.

Mayan Hands reflects both—supporting Indigenous women in Guatemala as they earn income and preserve the culture they cherish.

The world seems a little dimmer without Vera in it, but nevertheless she was one of the most impactful people I have ever known. It is comforting to know that her impact continues through the many lives she touched and changed.

Read more

• Read Vera’s obituary:Vera Eccarius-Kelly Obituary December 6, 2025 - Applebee Funeral Home
• A tribute to Vera from WAMC's The Roundtable