Tidewell Foundation Names Delesa Morris President

November 17, 2023 – Sarasota

The Tidewell Foundation has announced the appointment of Delesa Morris as its new President. Morris has served as the Foundation’s Interim President since December 2022, and was Senior Vice President for six months before that. Her appointment to the permanent position is a ringing endorsement of her leadership thus far during a period of change and growth for the organization. 

Morris brings 25 years of experience in philanthropy to her new role, with previous fundraising roles in healthcare and higher education. The Tidewell Foundation recruited her in July 2022 after a national search for a Senior Vice President. Morris had distinguished herself during the height of the COVID pandemic as Executive Director, overseeing philanthropy for three hospitals, at Cleveland Clinic Martin Health in nearby Stuart and Port St. Lucie.

The Tidewell Foundation Board of Directors expressed their appreciation for Morris’ leadership in her role as Interim President over the past year. “Appointing a new President is always a complicated process, but we have the rare luxury of knowing that we’re already in safe hands,” said Renee Eppard, Chairperson of the Board. “We are confident Ms. Morris will make a seamless transition into the permanent role.” 

For her part, Morris shared her excitement to continue her work with the Foundation, which supports Tidewell Hospice, the only nonprofit Hospice serving the Sarasota, Manatee, Desoto and Charlotte areas. “It is important to me to serve at an organization that is community focused, enhancing our collective health and wellbeing. I believe everyone deserves to have access to dignified, world-class care – and donors make it possible. It is our job to connect passionate donors with those vital local services,” says Morris.

Beyond Tidewell Hospice’s focus on nonprofit end-of-life services, the Foundation supports a wide range of full-life care. Those services are not only for hospice patients, but for their families, friends, and the whole community, including free grief counseling for anyone in their service area.

“This is a calling for me to lead with diligence and empathy,” said Morris. “The need has never been greater, and I’m honored to be selected as the leader at the Tidewell Foundation.