Around Town: Keith Monda

By Julie Milton | Photos by Nancy Guth | August 2023

If you are at a fundraiser or gathering, you notice him right away.  You can’t help it—he stands out. He is charming, uber smart, and kindhearted. He is a man who cares greatly about the health and wellbeing of others as well as his own health, and it shows. Meet Keith Monda and learn his story, his drivers, his passions, and his advice on how you too can have a more meaningful and healthier life.

Before retiring to Sarasota, you were at Coach, Inc. as its President & COO. What advice do you have for younger executives today with ambitions to rise to the top?

Look ahead at what you want for your future and the skills you are building in your career.  I spent time at several companies before the opportunity at Coach came along (Pfizer, J. Crew, Timberland) and the experiences brought me to a place where I could truly add value when I joined the leadership team at Coach.

I also always followed a few personal axioms throughout my career:  Always do your best.  Continue to raise the bar. Take prudent risks.  Recognize that success depends on collaboration and that the customer is always first. 

Can you pinpoint any drivers or defining moments in your younger years that led to your career success and your passion to help others? 

I was an economics major at The Ohio State University and stopped short of getting my doctorate.  I left with an understanding that it was important to have a world view, and that to be successful, I needed to start in a big city at a big company and learn from the ground up.  

Regarding philanthropy, there are many defining moments for me, but here is an early one:  When I was in grad school, a neighbor left a note on the door asking if she could borrow a few dollars to feed her children who were hungry.  I keep that note in our kitchen cabinet as a reminder that there are people in need, and I can make a difference. 

We are so fortunate to have you living in our community.  You are a person who cares deeply about children, education, and conservation. Let us first talk about children. Why children and which children’s programs do you support?

I believe our best long-term investment is in children.  You can change their lives today and give them the opportunity to create their own successful future.  For me, it starts with making sure they are fed—so I served on the local All Faiths Food Bank board and chaired the Feeding America board.  V (partner Veronica Brady) and I helped start All Faith’s annual Campaign Against Summer Hunger which raises funds to feed kids when school is not in session.  Children First, Boys and Girls Clubs, Child Protection Center and Girls Inc are also some of the local organizations we support.

Education is so important to society.  It is our “passport to the future.”  You have been very generous with your time and treasure to various educational programs.  Tell us more.

V and I helped get a literacy intervention program (Reading Recovery) started in the Sarasota district and we continue to provide support.  At Ohio State, I funded a scholarship program that enables deserving students to travel abroad for a semester—over 600 students have now had an opportunity to expand their world view!  

We know that for the future of our world we must be better environmental stewards.  Please share your thoughts on this and give us some examples of your environmental contributions.

We agree, and education is a key part of that.  I am a proud member of the Selby Gardens board and am excited about the education and conservation work being done there.  V and I also fund a program at Mote Marine that provides summer internships for 10 college students to work with Mote researchers and pursue their interests. I have also been active with The Nature Conservancy and helped fund a clean-up of the Gulf area which employed homeless veterans in the effort.

In addition, I have been the primary investor in a start-up energy business.  We have developed a technology that reduces the level of CO2 emissions in fossil fuels.  I am not sure what our ultimate outcome will be, but we must keep trying.

You love to swim, and you have helped children learn to swim as well.  First, please share your passion for the sport and tell us about your teaching children to swim.

I do love to swim—at least half a mile every day. I have been doing it for nearly 20 years.   It’s great exercise and gives me a lot of time to think.

In 2012 when a local nonprofit that provided swimming lessons to children closed, we started a program that provides a week’s worth of water safety lessons during the school day to every second grader in Sarasota County public schools.  The program is called Monda Kids SWIM (Safe Water Instruction Matters) and over 20,000 kids have now participated.

Swimming is one way you keep in shape.  Please share your personal routine for better health and nutrition. 

In addition to my daily swim, I alternate lifting weights and doing 5-10 miles on an elliptical daily.  We take a yoga class once a week which has really added to my flexibility and balance skills.  Diet is key:  I eat fish, but no meat.  No gluten, no dairy, and I limit the amount of processed food I eat.

For someone struggling with motivation and a plan for a healthier and more balanced life, what advice can you offer? 

My guidance is to develop a plan and stick to it.  Measure performance.  I keep a notebook with me when I work out and record all my activity.  It just becomes habit.

As a man about town, please tell our readers some of the places you love the best.

Sarasota Art Museum and The Ringling are high on the list.  I also like going to Selby Gardens and The Bay, and even though I might complain to V, any event where we can support the causes that make this community so special. 

What are some of your favorite restaurants?

State Street Eating House, Michael’s on East, Jack Dusty, The Ringling Grillroom, Roessler’s and Azul are my go to’s!

If you can select any place in the world to visit, where would you go and why?

Japan.  Over the years with Coach, I travelled to Japan many times and was impressed with its beauty.  Hoping to get back there in the next year or so!