Sarasota Memorial Healthcare Foundation announced today that the organization’s president, Mason Ayres, has decided to retire effective September 30. Ayres has served in this role since 2016. Under his leadership, the Healthcare Foundation was transformed into one of Sarasota’s most successful non-profits, raising over $100 million, including two of the largest gifts in the Healthcare Foundation’s 47-year history. Ayres was instrumental in leading the Healthcare Foundation’s largest fundraising campaign in its history to support the creation of Sarasota Memorial’s new Cancer Institute. The Leading with Care cancer campaign launched in 2018 with a fundraising goal of $50 million. With a transformational gift of $25 million from the Brian and Sheila Jellison Family Foundation the original goal was exceeded and raised to $75 million. Most recently, Ayres spearheaded the team that acquired a $10 million gift to support the creation of the Cornell Family Behavioral Health Pavilion on the SMH-Sarasota Campus. Ayres’ other accomplishments include rebranding the organization to better align with the health system’s goals and vision, and creating the annual Hospital Gala, which has raised over $5.4 million in support of the hospital’s greatest needs. Ayres says his greatest accomplishment was the incredible team he built at the Healthcare Foundation.

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