{"id":41180,"date":"2025-11-10T18:19:08","date_gmt":"2025-11-10T18:19:08","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/41180\/"},"modified":"2025-11-10T18:19:08","modified_gmt":"2025-11-10T18:19:08","slug":"united-way-suncoast-ceo-heads-south-to-helm-sarasota-foundation","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/41180\/","title":{"rendered":"United Way Suncoast CEO heads south to helm Sarasota foundation"},"content":{"rendered":"

United Way Suncoast <\/a>Chief Executive Officer Jessica Muroff<\/a> will leave the organization in January to become president and CEO of the Community Foundation of Sarasota County. <\/p>\n

The move marks the culmination of six years of transformational leadership at one of the region\u2019s most influential nonprofits.<\/p>\n

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A period of growth and resilience<\/p>\n

Muroff, who joined United Way Suncoast in November 2019, guided the organization through a period marked by a global pandemic, hurricanes and ongoing economic challenges. <\/p>\n

During that time, she strengthened the nonprofit\u2019s strategic direction, financial foundation and community impact.<\/p>\n

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\u201cThis decision comes with deep reflection and gratitude for the incredible journey I\u2019ve shared with our stakeholders,\u201d Muroff said. \u201cThe partnerships, collaboration and commitment of our donors, corporate partners and community leaders have strengthened this organization and deepened its impact in ways that make me profoundly proud.\u201d<\/p>\n

Programs that defined her tenure<\/p>\n

Under Muroff\u2019s leadership, United Way Suncoast launched several high-impact programs. Most recently, the organization introduced Bridging the Gap, a $350,000 initiative supporting 24 nonprofit partners that responded to the federal government shutdown and loss of SNAP benefits. <\/p>\n

Later this week, it will debut Go United, a digital platform that helps donors and volunteers connect with their impact in real time.<\/p>\n

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Since 2019, Muroff has modernized United Way Suncoast\u2019s grantmaking, enhanced data-driven community initiatives, and stewarded $51 million in assets, including an unsolicited $20 million donation from philanthropist MacKenzie Scott. <\/p>\n

She also restructured the organization internally, emphasizing culture, collaboration and employee well-being. Staff satisfaction reached a record high this year, driven by what Muroff describes as a shared focus on \u201cthe Suncoast Code & Values.\u201d<\/p>\n

A new chapter in Sarasota<\/p>\n

The Community Foundation of Sarasota County, a 45-year-old institution serving Sarasota, Manatee, DeSoto and Charlotte counties, has expanded its assets from $191 million in 2010 to more than $600 million today.<\/p>\n

\u201cOur Board of Directors is thrilled for Jessica to bring her exceptional background and expertise to this role,\u201d said Board Chair Paul Hudson, who has served as interim CEO since the retirement of longtime leader Roxie Jerde in June. \u201cAs a seasoned CEO and strategic decision-maker who understands our generational approach to community investments, Jessica will build on our successes, carrying forward our mission of achieving impact through philanthropy.\u201d<\/p>\n

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Muroff is already familiar with the foundation\u2019s work, having collaborated on several joint initiatives between the two organizations.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe culture of compassion, integrity and quality within the Foundation is unmistakable,\u201d she said. \u201cThe community\u2019s commitment to a brighter future is deeply inspiring.\u201d<\/p>\n

Continuity at United Way Suncoast<\/p>\n

United Way Suncoast\u2019s board expressed confidence in a smooth transition.<\/p>\n

\u201cOur organization has the leadership, strategy and stability to continue advancing our mission without pause,\u201d said Board Chair Sara Nichols. \u201cThe board and I have complete confidence in our team and the path ahead.\u201d<\/p>\n

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United Way Suncoast will conduct a national search for Muroff\u2019s successor. She will remain with the organization through early 2026 and officially join the Community Foundation of Sarasota County on January 20.<\/p>\n

Why it matters<\/p>\n

Muroff\u2019s transition highlights the depth of leadership within Tampa Bay\u2019s<\/a> nonprofit ecosystem. Her move connects two of the region\u2019s most impactful philanthropic organizations, each with a legacy of community investment and innovation in giving.<\/p>\n

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Read more TBBW stories<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"United Way Suncoast Chief Executive Officer Jessica Muroff will leave the organization in January to become president and…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":41181,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[10],"tags":[27356,27357,385,27358,24915,5131,1515,27359,413,135,1526,137,136,27360],"class_list":["post-41180","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-tampa","tag-community-foundation-of-sarasota-county","tag-community-investment","tag-featured-business-news","tag-jessica-muroff","tag-leadership-transition","tag-nonprofit-leadership","tag-philanthropy","tag-regional-nonprofits","tag-sarasota","tag-tampa","tag-tampa-bay","tag-tampa-headlines","tag-tampa-news","tag-united-way-suncoast"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/41180","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=41180"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/41180\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/41181"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=41180"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=41180"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=41180"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}