The sign of an unforgettable trip may not be your collection of photos or souvenirs but rather the Zillow search history you start when you board your plane. Travel sometimes inspires this dream of relocation, imagining a vacation without end and considering if home is calling from a new ZIP code.

At Visit Sarasota County, we hear repeatedly from visitors that why they continue to return to our region is because they feel like a local when they’re here. That sentiment, if carefully followed up by strategic marketing efforts, then shifts focus away from vacation to relocation or, for the lucky ones, retirement.

When we conducted our first survey on resident sentiments of tourism back in 2023, we found that nearly half of our respondents had moved to Sarasota County after a visit. In other words, they were tourists first—and after experiencing our warm weather, natural beauty, and relaxed atmosphere, and potentially a few return trips, they were entranced enough to exchange their suitcase for moving boxes. A story familiar to many of us—be it us, a neighbor or a friend.

Which is why one of our tourism bureau’s targeted audiences is potential future residents. We realize that chances are, people will visit a community before deciding to invest in it. This is true for those looking to work where they want to live and for those considering living where they want to play—enjoying all Florida’s Cultural Coast has to offer.

Visitors. Workforce. Retirees. Grabbing the attention of any one of these groups, especially in a state like ours where there are plenty of award-winning destinations competing with our own, requires teamwork.

This past month, that collaborative spirit was on full display as we joined our longtime partners at the Arts Alliance and Economic Development Corporation (EDC) for a joint workshop with the Sarasota County Board of County Commissioners to share all the ways in which we collaborate, not duplicate, to strengthen our community.

We discussed how our partnership evolved from smaller-scale marketing initiatives with unified branding pre-pandemic to broader regional efforts to drive talent attraction, economic diversification, and enhanced quality of life. From these shifts came two campaigns: Work Where You Want To Live ® and Live Where You Want To Play.

The “Work Where You Want To Live” ® campaign promotes Sarasota as a place where individuals can build careers without compromising lifestyle. On this website, we provide an overview of local neighborhoods, schools, healthcare, business parks, and job resources, as well as highlights of the area’s world-class cultural and recreational offerings. In the last 12 months alone, this campaign has generated 31,000 views.

A newer campaign,“Live Where You Want To Play,” still being built out, is aimed at attracting retirees who want more than just a place to live—they want to engage and give back. The website showcases Sarasota’s neighborhoods, world-class arts and culture, excellent healthcare, and opportunities to volunteer and support local philanthropy. It invites newcomers to be active, valued members of the community.

From our local Visitor Centers, we track relocation interest, send promising leads to the EDC if someone indicates they want to move their business, and mail out relocation packets that include co-branded collateral. In the last year, we’ve mailed out 770 such packets—adding to the thousands we’ve sent over the decades.

When visitors do decide to make the leap, AVA—our “Area Visitor Assistant,” or mobile visitor center—may greet them at sporting events, farmers markets, career fairs, college orientations, and beyond to educate on all there is to see and do in Sarasota County. Because becoming a resident doesn’t mean you can’t also be a tourist in your own backyard.

While vacations are meant to end, as our locals know all too well, ours here in Sarasota County do not. And with tourism helping fuel our unmatched quality of life, we intend to keep it that way—for our residents of today and tomorrow alike.

Erin Duggan is President & CEO of Visit Sarasota County. 

While vacations are meant to end, as our locals know all too well, ours here in Sarasota County do not. Provided photo.

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What a year—and what a journey to get here. Along the way, we’ve made new friends and raised more than a few question marks. Change at a public liberal arts college is never easy, but this past year has shown us just how much can be accomplished when a community is pot-committed for the future of our students.

This fall, we crossed a new threshold: more than 900 students enrolled, the largest student body in our history, and our third straight year welcoming 300-plus new students. Retention has rebounded to roughly 75 percent. The academic profile of our incoming class is the strongest in years—higher SATs and ACTs, GPAs near 4.0, and applications rising alongside selectivity. Those aren’t just numbers; they are families choosing Sarasota, choosing Florida, and choosing a distinctive education that fits their ambition and how they see their future.

You can see the momentum across campus. We have welcomed more than 65 new faculty in two years—scholars from places like Oxford, Stanford, and the University of Chicago—while investing in the professors who have long defined New College’s rigor. We launched 18 varsity sports, making our bayfront a home for scholar-athletes and their families on weekends. Our graduate programs are expanding: Applied Data Science continues to climb nationally, and Marine Mammal Science is drawing talent to the Gulf Coast to study and protect the waters we share.

Strength follows stewardship. Our Foundation has grown markedly—moving from a vulnerable position just a few years ago to one of real resilience, with record annual fundraising and new scholarships for students. State partners have backed that work with major funding that is turning deferred maintenance into new facilities and a renewed shoreline. When you walk the bayfront today, you feel it: a campus is preparing for the future while honoring its past.

Some people are asking why liberal arts, why now? Because this is exactly what our moment demands. In an age of AI, and constant disruption, the skill that endures is the capacity to think: to analyze, to connect ideas, to communicate, to lead. That is what the liberal arts, done seriously and in small cohorts, uniquely develop. At New College, students sit down with faculty early, write and defend a senior thesis, and learn to be accountable for their work. It’s personal, rigorous, and transformational. Undergraduates at New College don’t wait until year five to participate in meaningful research, they are participating right away. Our students participate and plan their destiny.

Recognition has followed the work. Washington Monthly named New College the No. 1 public liberal arts college in the country. The Princeton Review lists us among the nation’s best values. Fortune ranks our Master’s in Applied Data Science among the top programs in the United States. I’m proud of those accolades—but prouder still of what they represent: students who are seen and stretched, faculty who are energized, and a community that chose progress over pessimism.

None of this happened by accident. Trustees, faculty, staff, students, alumni, donors, state leaders, and neighbors rolled up their sleeves. Businesses offered internships. Families showed up at games. Alumni mentored undergrads. Our partners across Sarasota and Manatee leaned in. That is the story I most want our region to hear: this has been a team effort, built the Sarasota way—pragmatic, optimistic, and focused on results.

Is every question answered? No. Real change is hard. We have made tough calls, learned in public, and adjusted when needed. But the direction is clear and the energy is real. We are more than halfway up the mountain, and the view gets better with every step.

Here is what comes next. We will continue to recruit exceptional students from Florida and beyond who want a serious education in a close-knit setting. We will keep hiring world-class faculty and invest in the spaces where learning happens. We will deepen our ties to local employers so that more graduates launch careers right here on the Suncoast. And we will safeguard affordability so that any talented student can say yes to New College.

To everyone who believed in this turnaround—thank you. To those who are curious—come see us. Walk the bayfront, meet our students, and sit in on a seminar. The bones of greatness have always been here. This year, they have come to life.

And the best is yet to come.

Richard Corcoran is the President of New College of Florida. 

Provided photo.

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“We defend and we build a way of life not for America alone, but for all mankind” – Franklin D. Roosevelt.

The Manatee-Sarasota area has much to celebrate, but its greatest asset lies in what its extraordinary and extensive network of nonprofits does every day. These organizations are our innovation incubators, our problem solvers. Our safety net.

Right now, that net is stretching thin.

Today’s climate presents a ‘perfect storm’ of challenges. Changes to the federal tax code have disincentivized charitable giving. A cap on itemized deductions has discouraged individual donors, and corporations must now meet a 1% taxable income floor before qualifying for deductions. Simultaneously, historic cuts to federal and state programs like SNAP (Supplemental Nutritional Assistance Program), Medicaid, and public education are placing more pressure on nonprofits, many already at capacity.

Don’t get me wrong. I believe in efficiency and see opportunities for optimization, but most of the 850 nonprofits we work with provide essential services that cannot be replaced. And more than 200 nonprofits in our region rely on federal grants. In MCF’s recent survey, 60% reported state or federal funding losses in the past year. Nearly half expect more cuts in the next six months.This loss is not abstract. The most profound effects of the Big Beautiful Bill will hit from 2027 to 2029, impacting housing, healthcare, food security, and education most. The ALICE population—Asset Limited, Income Constrained, Employed—may fall into poverty, while middle-class families slip into ALICE. That’s not the future we want for our region.

We’re already seeing warning signs. Cuts are hitting school programs and childcare, threatening an already strained workforce. The Florida Chamber reports only half of Florida children are kindergarten-ready, and 1.8 million adults lack a GED. Last year, 150,000 workers—mostly women—left jobs due to childcare shortages. Without support, Florida won’t have the workforce to fill the 1.45 million new jobs projected by 2030. Inadequate childcare already costs the state more than $5.6 billion annually in lost economic impact. Manatee County alone has experienced a $2.3 million cut in ELC dollars this year.

The ripple effects will likely hit small businesses and working families hardest, often in multiple ways: losing SNAP benefits, healthcare coverage, and childcare access all at once. Our nonprofit ecosystem is strong, but that makes us vulnerable. When programs vanish, government agencies must step in without the resources or expertise to meet rising needs. MCF is responding with urgency. In early September, I visited Washington, D.C. with the Lakewood Ranch Business Alliance to advocate for our region’s nonprofits. We met with key decision makers including Congressmen Vern Buchanan, Byron Donalds, and Greg Steube, and the U.S. Chamber of Commerce to ensure nonprofits are top of mind in funding strategies.

As challenges mount, we expect nonprofits will refocus on core missions, cut programs, consolidate, and reimagine service delivery. These shifts may improve efficiency but reduce services. MCF is committed to supporting the transition sustainably. We’re also gathering real-time data from nonprofits through our survey to guide advocacy and ground conversations with leaders, focusing on real challenges rather than media hype.

And we’re building smarter systems. With Manatee County Government, MCF is implementing Unite Us, a data-driven platform that tracks referrals, shows resource gaps, and connects clients with wraparound services. As the cliché goes, we want to ‘teach a man to fish.’ Food banks meet urgent needs; Unite Us connects people to job training and resources that address root causes. Health equals wealth, and vice versa. We cannot thrive if basic needs go unmet or hospitals are overrun with uninsured patients—costs rise for everyone, and care suffers.

So, nonprofit partners, time to lean in. Remember your value: you deliver services government cannot, with compassion and expertise. Lead with data: clearly communicate your return on investment. Operate with transparency: use tools like Unite Us to document your reach in ways funders and policymakers can’t ignore. And please, connect with SPeterson@ManateeCF.org to take MCF’s survey so we know how best to support your success.

Donors and advocates: your philanthropy strengthens our community’s backbone. Support policies that protect education, SNAP, and Medicaid. Ask elected officials to include nonprofits in decisions and give generously for a brighter tomorrow.

We can’t afford to wait. Our response today will determine if the safety net holds.

Veronica Thames is the CEO of the Manatee Community Foundation. 

From left to right: Congressman Byron Donalds, Brittany Lamont (Lakewood Ranch Business Alliance), Eleni Sokos (Oysters Rock Hospitality), Veronica Thames (Manatee Community Foundation), and Dianne Kopcynski (Maulin & Jenkins). Provided photo.

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