Sarasota, Florida — Sue Seiter has announced her retirement from the executive director position at the Library Foundation for Sarasota County. The fundraising and development specialist, who joined the Foundation in 2012 as a consultant, has led the organization from a fledgling nonprofit to a robust Sarasota institution with more than $4 million in assets and no debt.
“Sue has meant so much to us, and to the community, over the last seven and a half years,” says Foundation president Isabel Norton. “While her presence and her savvy will be missed, we wish her a happy retirement with lots of and lots of books.”
Norton added that the search for Seiter’s replacement is now underway. Interested candidates can email: LibraryFoundationEDSearch@gmail.com.
When she came to Sarasota in May of 2012, Seiter already had 25 years of experience as a fundraising executive, including nine years at the Free Library of Philadelphia Foundation. The Library Foundation for Sarasota County had recently earned its 501(c) (3) designation and needed guidance to grow.
In her time as executive director, Seiter’s leadership generated exponential growth in the Foundation’s assets. She also oversaw the establishment of the Children’s Literacy Endowment, which ensures 1,000 children in Sarasota County will receive books delivered to their homes in perpetuity; the Leaders Circle, which comprises more than 125 individuals who give at least $1,000 annually; and a transformative grant of nearly $1 million from the Charles & Margery Barancik Foundation for the Creation Station initiative.
Seiter praises the foresight of her original board and the enthusiasm of the current one. “I have met so many thoughtful, engaged and generous donors along the way who understand and support the importance of libraries to a civil society,” she says. “I’m looking forward to reading the stack of books on my nightstand, taking some classes, and traveling more with my family and friends.” In the fall of 2020, she’ll embark on a month-long tour of France, Spain and Portugal, culminating with her first transatlantic cruise.