Library Foundation Hires New Executive Director

The Library Foundation of Sarasota County today announced that it has hired Alisa Mitchell as its new executive director. Mitchell, an early literacy specialist and development professional, has worked with Sarasota nonprofits since 2001. She takes over at the Library Foundation from Sue Seiter, who retires this month.

“Alisa has all the qualities we’re looking for in terms of leadership, a passion for literacy and nonprofit expertise,” says Board Chair Isabel Norton. “We’re so excited to embark on our next chapter with her.”

From 2008 to 2014 Mitchell worked as an outreach coordinator for Sarasota County Library System’s Born to Read Program; she also served as SCLS Grade-Level Reading Coordinator in 2017. Her resume also includes positions with Forty Carrots Family Center, Planned Parenthood of Southwest Florida and most recently as a consultant with the Community Foundation of Sarasota County.

“I couldn’t be happier with the decision to bring Alisa on board,” says retiring Executive Director Sue Seiter. “I know she will honor and build upon the work we’ve done over the past eight years. She is absolutely the right person to lead the foundation going forward.”

The Library Foundation’s mission is “to secure the future of our libraries as an indispensable community resource.” Mitchell is a passionate library advocate with extensive nonprofit experience in development, literacy and community collaboration.

Thanks to outstanding community support, the Foundation has experienced exponential growth in the last eight years. The Children’s Literacy Endowment was established, which ensures 1,000 young children in Sarasota County receive books delivered to their homes every month to help build their home library. More than 125 individuals have joined the Leaders Circle, and a transformative grant of nearly $1 million from the Charles & Margery Barancik Foundation has led to the development of Creation Stations in every library.

For more information, visit sarasotalibraryfoundation.org.