The Bay Park Conservancy Welcomes New Board and Management Team Members, Releases 2022 Annual Report

April 26, 2023 – Sarasota

The Bay Park Conservancy (BPC), the non-profit organization responsible for designing, developing, managing and operating a signature public park on 53 acres of City-owned land along Sarasota Bay, has elected three new Board members, added HR capability and released its annual report.

“The Bay Park Conservancy is at a critical juncture with the need to balance ongoing operations of existing park with the implementation of new park,” says Founding CEO AG Lafley. “We are focused on ensuring financial sustainability. We have the funds needed for Phase 2 implementation, but we need to continue to raise more funds for annual operations and programming. We are adding the leadership, experience and expertise we need on both the board and BPC management team.”

Tony Gamelin, Managing Principal of CFO Integrity, transitions from his previous role as CFO of the Bay Park Conservancy to become a member of the Board and Finance Committee. As BPC CFO, Gamelin helped create and implement financial controls and management processes to improve management implementation and operations. Gamelin is a seasoned finance and accounting executive with a broad base of experience and has performed CFO-level services with non-profit and private companies across a wide range of industries including retail, construction and professional services.

Gamelin says, “While serving as BPC CFO, I developed an enthusiastic appreciation for the vision, strategy and leadership of this amazing new park. I am excited and honored to serve in a fiduciary and governance role to help The Bay achieve goals that will positively impact the community for generations to come.”

Jeff Jackson is President and CEO of PGT Innovations, a leading manufacturer of premium windows and doors. Jeff is a Certified Public Accountant with prior management experience at The Hershey Company, Coca-Cola, and KPMG, among others. Jeff is a committed community advocate and serves as Board Chair for the Sarasota Manatee Airport Authority. Jeff and the PGT Innovations team are helping end human trafficking in the state of Florida.

“As a Sarasota resident, I am thrilled to join The Bay Park Conservancy Board and work towards establishing a sustainable and inclusive new park for everyone in the Sarasota region. Being part of the team that creates a park with so much to offer, while preserving its natural beauty, is an incredible opportunity that I feel privileged to be a part of, and I look forward to working with the other board members to continue to make the community’s aspirations a reality,” says Jackson.

Jennifer Jorgensen, City of Sarasota Governmental Relations Manager, previously worked for the Walt Disney Company as Manager, Vendor Management and Business Affairs Manager. Jennifer has her Juris Doctor from the University of Nebraska. She also worked as Legal Counsel and Lobbyist for the Nebraska School Board Association and held various leadership and fundraising positions in higher education and the non-profit sector.

“From the moment I set foot on The Bay and learned about the current and future plans the BPC and the City have developed in partnership together for this park, I was immediately hooked,” says Jorgensen. “As an employee of the City of Sarasota, I am extremely excited and honored to have the opportunity to be a part of the BPC Board and the exciting and sustainable future for this signature city park for all.”

Ron Hamilton joins the BPC team as the Senior Human Resources Consultant. He is a former HR executive at a Fortune 500 financial services company. He has also been a HR Consultant for over 20 years working with large international companies, as well as smaller non-profits like Meals on Wheels Plus of Manatee and Jewish Family and Children Services. Ron is an Adjunct Professor at Webster University.

Hamilton notes, “I am honored to be working with an organization that is so passionate about enhancing the community.”

Lastly, the Bay Park Conservancy published the 2022 Annual Report which highlights last year’s park opening to 50,000 people, the ongoing transformation of a parking lot into a park, enabling community partnerships, new environmental enhancements and more. The 2022 Annual Report can be accessed via The Bay’s website or by visiting www.thebayannualreport.org.

For more information about the Bay and The Bay Park Conservancy, visit www.thebaysarasota.org or contact Sydney Baulier at sb@largeinc.com or 817-939-8557.

About The Bay
The Bay is a new, signature, public park along Sarasota Bay. Designed to be “one park for all,” The Bay is open and accessible, free and welcoming to the full and rich diversity of the community, now and for generations to come.

The Bay preserves, restores and transforms 53 acres of precious city-owned land along Sarasota Bay into a blue and green oasis – providing a sustainable bayfront gathering place for the community to experience and enjoy a wide range of park uses, free programs and events.

The first 14-acre phase of the park opened in October 2022. Phase 2, the next 14-acre $65 million development, will begin in the Summer of 2023. The completed park in total will cost an estimated $175-200 million and will take approximately 8-10 years to complete over 4 or more phases.

About The Bay Park Conservancy
The Bay Park Conservancy (BPC) was formed as a 501c3 not-for-profit organization in 2019 to implement the Master Plan approved by the Sarasota City Commission to conserve 53 acres of public land for a signature park along Sarasota Bay. The BPC entered a long-term partnership with the City and to help fund, develop, operate, maintain and program the park for the benefit of the community, now, and for generations to come.

For more information about The Bay and The Bay Park Conservancy, visit www.thebaysarasota.org.