COMMUNITY BRIEFS: SMH Foundation; Gulf Coast Foundation; Muma College; wellness programs

Sarasota Herald-Tribune
·4 min read

A hit for mentoring

Take Stock in Children of Sarasota County recently received a $15,000 grant from the Rays Baseball Foundation and Rowdies Soccer Fund. The grant will support college readiness and mentor programming for economically disadvantaged students, Take Stock in Children executive director Lisa Bechtold said. “The Rays have been a phenomenal partner with Take Stock in Children for 10 years” Bechtold said. “We are honored and so grateful for their unwavering support of our program.” Take Stock in Children helps students graduate from high school in strong academic standing and prepare for postsecondary success. For information or to become a mentor, visit takestocksarasota.org.

Sarasota Memorial Healthcare
Foundation gets new president

Stacey Corley, currently vice president for advancement at Ringling College of Art and Design, will join the Sarasota Memorial Healthcare Foundation as president on Sept. 6, succeeding Mason Ayres, who announced in May he will be retiring this fall.

Stacey Corley will join the Sarasota Memorial Healthcare Foundation as president on Sept. 6.
Stacey Corley will join the Sarasota Memorial Healthcare Foundation as president on Sept. 6.

“All of us feel extremely fortunate to have Stacey stepping into the leadership role,” Healthcare Foundation board chair Deb Kabinoff said. “Because our organization has experienced unprecedented growth during Mason’s tenure, our search for a new leader focused on candidates with outstanding development track records and a passion for our mission. Stacey is a perfect fit to lead us.”

Corley joined Ringling College in 2012 as a senior development officer, advancing to assistant vice president for strategic philanthropy in 2014 before moving into her current role.

“It is an honor to be joining an organization that has been so successful in the last few years," Corley said. "I am looking forward to working with the talented teams at the Healthcare Foundation and SMH, as well as fostering current and new relationships with our supporters. My goal is to build on current achievements and further the impact we can have of the health and well-being of our community.”

Corley previously served as associate director for development for Florida State University Foundation/John and Mable Ringling Museum of Art and worked 10 years for Bristol-Myers Squibb.

Gulf Coast Foundation
elects new board chair

The Gulf Coast Community Foundation board of directors recently elected David Green as chair and Lisa Krouse as vice chair for one-year terms. Green, who succeeds Pauline Wamsler, has served on the board since 2018 and Krouse is beginning her fourth year.

David Green was recently elected chair of the Gulf Coast Community Foundation board of directors.
David Green was recently elected chair of the Gulf Coast Community Foundation board of directors.

“David Green represents Gulf Coast’s values of integrity, leadership, collaboration, and excellence in all that he does,” Gulf Coast president and CEO Mark Pritchett said. “His career executive and governing board experiences will help Gulf Coast boldly execute our priorities for the years ahead.”

Green also serves as a board member of the Sarasota Orchestra and a trustee of the Hermitage Artist Retreat. Krouse is president and CEO of the Economic Development Corporation of Sarasota County. The board also re-elected Anand Pallegar for a third three-year term as a director and Peter Soderberg and David Sessions to their second three-year terms as directors.

Muma College of Business
transitions with new leaders

The University of South Florida Muma College of Business on the Sarasota-Manatee campus recently named Joni Jones as new campus dean.

Joni Jones has been named campus dean of USFSM's Muma College of Business.
Joni Jones has been named campus dean of USFSM's Muma College of Business.

Also, Cihan Cobanoglu was appointed permanent dean of the School of Hospitality and Tourism Management. Jean Kabongo, a professor of strategic management who served as campus dean since 2020, will move to USF Tampa to serve as associate dean for academic affairs and accreditation and chief diversity officer.

The changes are part of a transition as business dean Moez Limayem prepares to leave Muma College to become president of the University of North Florida, said Karen Holbrook, regional chancellor for USF’s Sarasota-Manatee campus. “These changes will be of great value not only to our campus and to the college but also to the region,”

Englewood Hospital to host
wellness education series

HCA Florida Englewood Hospital will host a series of health talks in July to provide education on multiple topics, including heart health, relief for knee and hip pain, men’s health, women’s health, digestive health and lung cancer prevention.

The series begins on July 12 from 8-9 a.m. at Suncoast Auditorium, 770 Medical Drive, on the hospital campus, with “Healthy Feet and Relief from Ankle Pain” featuring orthopedic specialist Javier Guzman. A continental breakfast will be served. To learn more or register, visit bit.ly/3AlSKXU or call 844-706-8773.

“We are happy to have the opportunity to extend care into the community by offering education on a variety of healthy living topics,” Englewood Hospital CEO Steve Young said. “Patients are making educated decisions about treatments for ailments such as ankle pain. We want to be a resource for those who want to learn more.”

Around and about ...

The newly formed Greater Venice Duplicate Bridge Club will hold its first sanctioned game at Christ Lutheran Church Fellowship Hall, 701 N. Indiana Ave., Englewood, on July 5 at 1 p.m. Games will be held weekly on Tuesday, Thursday, Friday and Sunday. The Greater Venice Duplicate Bridge Club is member-owned and ACBL-sanctioned. The game fee is $8. The membership fee ($25) is optional. For more information, visit bridgewebs.com/greatervenicebridge/home.html; or contact club manager Margaret Tominosky at mtominosky@comcast.net.

• Gulf Cove United Methodist Church (1100 S. McCall Road, Port Charlotte), which offers free dine-in or carryout meals on the first Monday each month, is postponing July's supper one week because of the holiday. The July 11 menu, served 3:30-5:30 p.m., is chicken, baked beans, roll, and dessert. Visit GulfCoveChurch.com or call 941-697-1747 for reservations and/or donations.

Compiled from press releases and community submissions.

This article originally appeared on Sarasota Herald-Tribune: LOCAL: SMH Foundation; Gulf Coast Foundation; wellness programs