Tidewell Foundation Announces Change in Leadership 

November 2, 2022 – Sarasota

 Jonathan Fleece, President of Empath Health, President and CEO of Tidewell Hospice announced today that Debbie Mason, CFRE has resigned as President of the Tidewell Foundation, a member organization of Empath Health. 

“I’ve accomplished what I committed to do to establish the Tidewell Foundation in support of Tidewell Hospice,” Mason said. “Working with a fabulous staff and board, we built an effective, strategic organization focused on brightening the lives of patients and families served by Tidewell.” 

“Debbie has achieved what she set out to do for the Tidewell Foundation and feels it’s a good time to leave the well-established organization to pursue other opportunities,” said Fleece. “Under Debbie’s leadership and supported by the Tidewell Foundation Board of Directors and a solid team of philanthropy professionals, the Tidewell Foundation has significantly grown its revenue, gained new donors and expanded crucial community partnerships. We thank Debbie for her leadership over the last three years.” Fleece said. 

After a national search, Delesa Hinkle Morris, CFRE, was hired by Tidewell Foundation in August 2022 to serve as Mason’s successor. She will step in as the interim leader of the Tidewell Foundation December 1, 2022. 

Morris comes to the Foundation with more than 15 years of experience in strategic planning, project management, fundraising, donor relations and partnership building to drive growth for healthcare and higher education non-profits. Most recently, she was the Executive Director of Philanthropy at Cleveland Clinic, Martin Health Foundation where she spent five years building partnerships, continuously exceeding goals and supporting donors with their philanthropic objectives. 

“We are so grateful for the support of the Sarasota, Manatee, Charlotte, DeSoto and surrounding communities in our successful launch of the Tidewell Foundation in 2020. They are all so generous in supporting the Foundation that benefits Tidewell Hospice patients, families and caregivers. I am confident that we will continue to receive that support from our board and the community moving forward and that the Foundation will continue to thrive,” said Fleece.