On Friday, October 23, 20 dynamic community leaders from across the region graduated from the Fall 2026 Gulf Coast Board Institute (GCBI), the long-standing board development initiative of Gulf Coast Community Foundation (Gulf Coast). 

Marking its twenty-first cohort, the Institute continues its longstanding work of providing interactive, high-level training for new and veteran nonprofit board members to build their understanding of effective leadership, oversight, and organizational best practices. The program is part of Gulf Coast’s Invest in Incredible (i3) initiative, which provides resources to help regional nonprofits build organizational capacity and operate more effectively.

“Every cohort brings a unique mix of experiences and perspectives, and this class has been especially committed to learning from one another and growing as effective board members,” said Melissa Ehrhardt, Director, Capacity Building for Gulf Coast. “I’m looking forward to seeing how these board members build on what they’ve learned and to welcoming a new group of leaders to GCBI this spring.”

The graduates of the Fall 2026 Gulf Coast Board Institute and the respective organizations on which they serve as board members are:

• Angela Bibler, Harvest House 

• Avery Cok, Lighthouse Vision Loss Education Center

• Oliver Cok, prospective board member

• Stephanie Costello, Senior Friendship Center

• Ryan Featherstone, Child Protection Center

• Kelly Ford, League of Women Voters Manatee County

• Lourdes Fuller, Venice Chamber of Commerce

• Michael Kennedy, Harvest House

• Katie Kominos, Caring Collective

• Will Luera, CreArte Latino

• Christina Maksoud, Junior League of Sarasota; Florida Public Relations Association

• Carla Malachowski, Resilient Retreat

• Ronald Mathis, Precious Jewels Academy Learning Center, Inc. 

• Bonnie McIntyre, Resilient Retreat; SPARCC

• Darrick Paul, One Check Away Inc

• Lucy Sorrentini, Empower Prosperity Foundation

• Julie Waters, The Pops Orchestra of Bradenton and Sarasota

• Valerie Wawrin, Sisterhood For Good

• Sarah Williams, Myakka River Partnership

• Leanndra Yates, ALSO Youth; Star Lab

"GCBI was an informative and rewarding experience, and I'm grateful to have had the opportunity to participate," said Ronald Mathis II, Fall 2026 graduate and Chief Operating Officer of Precious Jewels Academy Learning Center, Inc. "The knowledge and insights gained will be valuable to both my personal and professional growth."

"I had questioned whether volunteer board service was the right fit for me, but this experience gave me confidence in what I can contribute and renewed my enthusiasm for serving," added Julie Waters, Fall 2026 graduate and Secretary of The Pops Orchestra of Sarasota and Bradenton Board of Directors. 

Applications are open now for Gulf Coast’s Spring 2027 GCBI and will close on Monday, December 28. A program overview can be found at www.gulfcoastcf.org/GCBI. 

The next group will participate in four training sessions in February 2027 at Gulf Coast’s Sarasota Philanthropy Center, 1549 State Street, Sarasota. Led by certified i3 consultants, session topics will include fundamentals of nonprofit board governance, becoming an ambassador for your organization, financial and legal oversight responsibilities, fundraising and resource development, and more.

Participants will be selected through a competitive application process with the intent of creating a group of individuals with a variety of experiences. Gulf Coast provides all training and resources at no cost to participants in exchange for their commitment to serve as advocates for good board governance in current and future nonprofit board roles. Applicants are encouraged to be current, active board members at a nonprofit in the region, although prospective board members will also be considered. Because of strong demand for this high-quality training opportunity, applicants also must sign a commitment that they will attend all four days of training if selected. 
 

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