United Way Suncoast is getting a new CEO.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Kourtney Sanchez, who currently serves as the Tampa Bay Buccaneers\u2019 chief impact officer, will assume the role June 1. The decision was announced today.\u00a0<\/p>\n
A third-generation St. Petersburg native, Sanchez will replace former CEO Jessica Muroff. She stepped down from the position at United Way in January to become CEO of the Community Foundation of Sarasota County.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cUnited Way Suncoast\u2019s mission and impact areas are incredibly personal to me,\u201d Sanchez told the Catalyst. \u201cI believe in the strength and potential of this community and our responsibility as community members to uplift one other.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
According to Sanchez\u2019s LinkedIn profile, she oversees philanthropic strategy, growth and implementation for the Buccaneers\u2019 local and national programs and partnerships. Sanchez joined the organization in May 2024. Additionally, she serves as the executive director of the Glazer Family Foundation and the Glazer Vision Foundation.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Previously, Sanchez held roles at AdventHealth, the Cholangiocarcinoma Foundation, the American Heart Association and the Pediatric Cancer Foundation.<\/p>\n
United Way Suncoast, founded in 1924, focuses on three key impact areas: educational opportunity, financial security and community resiliency. The organization, which serves Pinellas, Hillsborough, Manatee, DeSoto and Sarasota counties, supports and develops initiatives to empower individuals.\u00a0<\/p>\n
In 2025, United Way Suncoast pledged $14.1 million for 67 nonprofit partner programs through 2027.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Sanchez explained that she has \u201cunique connections\u201d to all three impact areas. Her mother was an educator and her grandfather served as the president of a bank.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cI was raised in a home with so much financial literacy,\u201d Sanchez added. \u201cSo, I know the importance personally.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Sanchez has worked on multiple community-focused projects and helped the Buccaneers organization launch a small business fund program. The initiative supports companies that were impacted by hurricanes Helene and Milton in 2024.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cThe fact that I get to continue that work and carry in my own personal connections into the CEO position is a honor,\u201d she said. \u201cI\u2019m humbled.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Sanchez explained that she has spent a majority of her career working at local nonprofits. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers showed her a different \u201cside of the table.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s given me a really unique perspective of how funders partner and lean into relationships with nonprofits,\u201d she said.\u00a0<\/p>\n
United Way Suncoast is a \u201cconvener and connector in our community,\u201d Sanchez believes. Her goal is to continue to grow relationships with donors, stakeholders and nonprofit partners. Assessing the community\u2019s needs will be a central focus. Sanchez added that she is looking forward to building relationships with the organization\u2019s team.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cKourtney brings an exceptional amount of leadership experience and development acumen to United Way Suncoast,\u201d board chair Sara Nichols explained in a prepared statement. \u201cHer work across several organizations helped her rise from a pool of nearly 300 applicants compiled by the Winner Partners search firm during our four-month national recruitment process.\u201d<\/p>\n
She added that Sanchez \u201cmatched her record of accomplishment with an energetic approach and innovative ideas.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n