Travers steps down from leadership role after six years, much of which focused on plans for new performing arts venue
As the fate of the plans for a proposed new Sarasota Performing Arts Center (SPAC) awaits a Sarasota City Commission vote, the organization that has led the effort to build the new facility has announced leadership changes for its board of directors.
In a press release issued on June 19, the Sarasota Performing Arts Foundation (SPAF) reported that Jenne Britell and Drayton Saunders were elected the previous day to serve as co-chairs of the Foundation’s board. “They succeed Jim Travers, who is stepping down but will remain on the board after six years of distinguished service” as chair, the release points out.
Holding the position of chair “has been an honor during such a dynamic period,” said Travers in the release. “I am incredibly proud of what we have accomplished together, moving closer to realizing a world-class performing arts center. I have full confidence in the leadership of Dr. Jenne Britell and Drayton Saunders to guide the Foundation through its next exciting chapter,” he added in the release.
A couple of years ago, Britell served as a member of the Foundation task force that conducted interviews to determine the firm that should be hired to design the SPAC, as The Sarasota News Leader has reported. Ultimately, the task force settled on Renzo Piano Building Workshop, which is based in Genoa, Italy.
Saunders is a member of the family whose eponymous business, Michael Saunders & Co., long has been recognized as one of the community’s top real estate firms, especially in regard to handling luxury listings.
“Since 2016,” the Foundation news release continues, “Travers has played a critical role in the Foundation’s evolution. In addition to serving as chairman, he stepped in as interim chief executive officer, providing stability and clear direction during a time of transition. He served on the CEO Search Committee that recruited nationally recognized arts leader Tania Castroverde Moskalenko to lead the Foundation and its signature project,” the release adds. “Under his leadership,” it also says, the Foundation “strengthened [its] philanthropic and civic partnerships.”
“Jim Travers has been an extraordinary steward of this organization, guiding the Foundation with vision, dedication, and generosity during one of its most transformative chapters,” said CEO Castroverde Moskalenko in the release.
“As we welcome Jenne and Drayton as co-chairs,” she added, “I am energized by their shared passion for the arts, deep ties to our community, and steadfast commitment to building a performing arts center that will inspire generations to come.”
In early April 2023, Travers, who was serving as the Foundation’s interim CEO at that time, appeared before the Sarasota City Commission to request a delay until November 2024 for the Foundation to present its proposed “implementation agreement” regarding the final plans for the new performing arts center. An agreement that the commissioners approved on a final vote in April 2022 laid out responsibilities for both the city and the Foundation in the effort to construct and operate the SPAC. That document called for the Implementation Agreement to be provided to the commission no later than the end of April 2022.
However, with more architectural firms than expected having submitted applications to design the SPAC, Travers told the city commissioners in April 2023 that extra time was needed to prepare the agreement. He also talked of the fact that the Foundation had had to operate under the requirements of the state’s Sunshine Laws in selecting the architectural firm, including government procurement regulations.
Yet, the Foundation still did was not prepared to present the Implementation Agreement to the City Commission in November 2024.
During further discussions this year, three of the city board members — Vice Mayor Debbie Trice and Commissioners Jen Ahearn-Koch and Kathy Kelley Ohlrich — made it clear that they have concerns about the project, including its tentative $407-million expense.
Moreover, with more research needing to be undertaken in regard to the SPAC’s location within the 53-acre Bay Park in downtown Sarasota, no timeline has been provided for the next City Commission discussion about the Implementation Agreement.
On May 5, Jan Thornburg, general manager of the city’s Communications Department, told the News Leader that no meeting had been scheduled as of that time. The City Commission is on its summer break through June. Its next regular meeting is scheduled for July 7.
When the News Leader checked again with Thornburg on June 26, she confirmed, “There is no set date at this time for [the Implementation Agreement] to go to the City Commission.”
Business and public service backgrounds
The Foundation announcement provides details about both Britell and Saunders.
Britell, who previously served as vice chair of the Foundation board, has been with the organization since 2019, the release notes. She is a retired senior executive of GE Capital and the former executive vice president of Global Consumer Finance, as well as past president of Global Mortgage and Commercial Banking, the release points out. Britell also has served “on several Fortune 500 and nonprofit boards, including the Lincoln Financial Corporation, TIAA-CREF, The Philadelphia Orchestra, Curtis Institute of Music, and the Santa Fe Opera,” the release says.
In Sarasota County, the release continues, she has served on the boards of the Ringling College of Art + Design and the Circus Arts Conservancy. “Her global perspective, financial acumen, and passion for the arts will be instrumental in advancing the Foundation’s strategic vision,” the release adds.
“The vision for a new performing arts center is inspiring,” Britell said in the release. “A world-class arts center will not only elevate Sarasota’s cultural landscape but also serve as a powerful engine for education and community engagement.”
Saunders, who serves as president of Michael Saunders & Co., has been leading the Foundation’s fundraising efforts as Campaign Cabinet chair , the release points out. He “has been an active member of the Board since 2021.”
A Sarasota native, Saunders also serves on the board of directors of Gulfside Bank and is a member of Sarasota County’s Affordable Housing Advisory Committee, the release notes. Previously, he was a member of the boards of directors of the Sarasota County Economic Development Corp. (EDC) and the Community Foundation of Sarasota County, the release adds. “His understanding of regional development and longstanding engagement with the community positions him as a key advocate for the Foundation’s mission,” the release says.
Saunders pointed out in the release, “Our focus is clear: continue to work with the city, our board, and the community to ensure the successful realization of this transformative performing arts center, one that will profoundly enrich our community through the arts and vital arts education programs.”
For more information about the Sarasota Performing Arts Foundation, visit PerformingArtsFoundation.org.