Five new directors named
Kat Wingert has been elected the new president of the board of directors of the Library Foundation for Sarasota County, the nonprofit announced this week.
Additionally, five new members of the board have been named:
Deborah Ayres, Ann Olson, Lisa Silvershein, Caroline Strickland, and Larry Wickless, a news release says. “Each brings unique professional expertise, extensive board service, and a commitment to sustaining and enhancing Sarasota County’s libraries,” the release adds.
“Wingert, who joined the Foundation’s board in 2018, brings deep passion for libraries and a vision for their role in building community,” the release continues. “A lifelong library supporter and community journalist, Wingert says the opportunity to lead the foundation at this pivotal time is both exciting and meaningful,” the release notes.
“I’m excited to serve as president of an organization that is focused on strengthening and supporting our libraries, which are such a critical local resource,” Wingert said. “As a community journalist, I believe in free and open access to information and ideas, as well as the need to bring people together, and there’s no better place that offers these things than our libraries,” she continued in the release. “We have an enviable library system in Sarasota County, and we have so much growth happening within it that it’s a great time for the Library Foundation to grow in tandem to support our librarians in all their important work.”
As board president, the release adds, Wingert has made clear that her “priorities include expanding community awareness of Sarasota County’s robust library services — ranging from e-books and genealogy resources to live programs and digital learning tools — ensuring strong county funding, and increasing philanthropic support for innovative projects.
“Founded in 2011, the Library Foundation for Sarasota County is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization dedicated to securing the future of our libraries as essential community resources,” the release explains. “Through fundraising, advocacy, and partnerships, the Foundation supports programs and initiatives that enhance the library system beyond what public funding alone can provide. To learn more about the Library Foundation for Sarasota County, visit SarasotaLibraryFoundation.org or call 941-404-3139.