With Gratitude and Heartfelt Thanks

It is a bittersweet time for me this month as the conclusion of my 14-year tenure leading the Community Foundation of Sarasota County approaches. It has been the honor of my lifetime to serve as the president and CEO of the Community Foundation and as only the second CEO in our 45-year history, following my predecessor, the late Stewart Stearns.

I always say, “All of us are smarter than one of us,” and this adage holds great truth for me, serving as our North Star in all we do in pursuit of a community where everyone can thrive. The amazing people I have had the privilege to partner with while striving to strengthen our community are my guiding lights. It would be impossible for this, my final column, to capture every relationship that has contributed to our foundation’s growth, success, and progress, but I do want to acknowledge several who have shaped me and my understanding of what it takes to build community over the past 14 years.

• First, I want to thank the Executive Search Committee and Board that in 2011 trusted me with the opportunity and responsibility to lead our foundation. Over the years, I am grateful to many board members who have served as counsel and inspiration. Each brought special skills, expertise, and viewpoints, and were united by our mission to care for our community. Their guidance and judgement have been immeasurable. I recently celebrated with members of the original Search Committee and Board Chairs I’ve served over the years to say thanks for their service. (You can see a photo from our celebration above. Those who attended included, from left to right: Charla Burchett, Nelle Miller, Dan DeLeo, Marilyn Thompson, Phil Delaney, Felice Schulaner, Margaret Callihan, Jim Shedivy, Kathie Roberts, Rick Gans, and me. Diane McFarlin was not able to join us, but she was with us in spirit.)

• I am also incredibly indebted to the extraordinary colleagues I have worked with and learned from, who further our foundation’s purpose of community impact powered by philanthropy. It is a joy each day to work with people who are so talented, smart, and passionate about our community. Our Community Foundation has a terrific, tenured team, and I am fortunate that they have chosen to contribute their gifts to our community through their professional roles.

• Of course, none of this work would be able to happen without the generous, caring, and visionary donors who choose to partner with the Community Foundation. Their commitment to our community, combined with their trust in our foundation, ensures that their philanthropic hopes are realized. Living in a place where people give of themselves to make life better for others is truly special, and I am incredibly proud of the cumulative $500 million-plus that we have granted into the community that impacts thousands of lives for the better. As we tripled our assets over the last 14 years, and more significant growth forecasted, I depart assured that our foundation will continue to provide funding for future generations and support in new, innovative ways.

• Offering new opportunities for everyone to be the one to impact a person, a cause, a community has been one of my greatest joys. We welcomed charitable givers of all means, from the mass appeal demonstrated through nine Giving Challenges supporting our community with more than $92 million in unrestricted gifts for our nonprofit community to individuals like Ira and Patty Strauss, who leave their life’s legacies to support those they may never meet. Over the years, new technologies like The Giving Partner and resources like our Community Indicators Dashboard provide a trusted source to understand the significant results achieved by our nonprofit partners that have enhanced our philanthropic community.

• And our remarkable nonprofit leaders and their teams are why we enjoy our incredible quality of life in Sarasota County and beyond. Our nonprofit community safeguards and champions our most deeply cherished values. What an honor to have worked with true heroes who make this community better every day through their individual work and long-running partnerships.

• Finally, I want to thank our fellow foundation partners. Teamwork really does make the dream work, and it has been so rewarding to work in partnership with the network of foundations whose cooperation and collaboration has been key to solving some of our area’s most pressing challenges. A special shout out to The Patterson Foundation and president and CEO Debra Jacobs. The Patterson Foundation has amplified many of our initiatives—from their unheard of 1:1 match for the Giving Challenge to their generous support of Season of Sharing and the Suncoast Disaster Recovery Fund. I am so grateful for their unwavering support, which has bolstered all our fundraising by inspiring giving and has made an enormous impact on this community.

I am proud that we prioritize collaboration and catalytic investment that break down silos so we can pursue long-term generational change, along with proactive, immediate-need responses to issues of the moment. We pride ourselves on being innovative and being known for our culture of “asking and listening” to ensure community voices are heard so that our support can lead to empowering outcomes to help individuals, families, and neighborhoods create economic security and social mobility.

None of that happens without trust—trust that the Community Foundation of Sarasota County will be excellent stewards of legacies and translate generosity into impact; trust that we will always seek to find common ground, understanding, and partnerships; and trust that we will be humble servant leaders driven by our values.

My last heartfelt “thank you” is to my husband of 48 years, Mike Jerde, for his steadfast support and joining me in adopting Sarasota as our community, our home.

So, as I sign off on my last monthly CEO Message, I am blessed to leave with a plethora of amazing relationships and friendships. While you may see me cycling on the Legacy Trail, enjoying our cultural and environmental treasures, welcoming friends and family to share our beautiful community, or cheering on our beloved Iowa Hawkeyes, Kansas City Chiefs, and Caitlin Clark of the Indiana Fever, my heart will always be with the Community Foundation of Sarasota County as I cheer on our president and CEO in our 46-year history. So long!