Big Brothers Big Sisters of the Sun Coast Announces President and CEO, Kamala L. Martinez

October 2, 2024 | Sarasota

The Board of Directors of Big Brothers Big Sisters of the Sun Coast is pleased to announce the selection of Kamala Martinez as its next President|CEO. She will join Big Brothers Big Sisters of the Sun Coast on September 30 following the national search conducted by the Board’s CEO Search Committee and executive search firm BoardWalk Consulting.

“Our search process was inclusive, strategic, exhaustive and thorough. We are grateful to Joy Mahler for her amazing work as the longstanding CEO of Big Brothers Big Sisters of the Sun Coast! Joy’s exceptional work over more than 40 years has built an incredible foundation. She is a great leader and has consistently propelled this agency to newer and greater heights, shared Big Brothers Big Sisters of the Sun Coast Search Committee Chair Randall Woods.  “As Joy transitions, we have the responsibility to appoint another great executive with the passion to further our mission. Kamala is a well-seasoned leader in corporate and nonprofit settings. We are thrilled to have her at the helm.”

Kamala L. Martinez is an accomplished philanthropy executive with a proven track record of integrating philanthropic efforts with corporate strategy, particularly within Fortune 500 companies. In her most recent role as the Vice President of Development at the United Way of South Sarasota, she successfully introduced an inclusive grant process and secured sizeable funding in just six months. Before this, as CEO of the United Way of Will County, Kamala led groundbreaking initiatives that resulted in a 68.1% increase in total impact giving and the creation of a crisis line that now serves more than 700,000 residents. Her leadership roles at KidsMatter and RR Donnelley further underscore her ability to drive significant organizational growth and create lasting community impact. Kamala holds a bachelor’s degree in communications and broadcasting from The University of Iowa and is an active community leader, serving on multiple boards and committees. “I am deeply honored that the Big Brothers Big Sisters of the Sun Coast Board of Directors has entrusted me to lead the organization into its next phase of growth, shared Big Brothers Big Sisters of the Sun Coast CEO, Kamala Martinez. “I look forward to engaging more Bigs to have meaningful relationships that empower and positively impact more Littles.”      

“The process of identifying a leader to succeed Joy Mahler, an iconic, beloved, and well-respected CEO was no small task, shared Big Brothers Big Sisters of the Sun Coast Board Chair, Michael Nachef. “Kamala Martinez is a leader with the depth of experience our Agency needs. We are truly grateful to the Big Brothers Big Sisters of the Sun Coast Search Committee, the Board of Directors, stakeholders, the Executive Leadership Team, donors, and our community partners who assisted in this effort. The result is exciting!”