In January 2023, I ran across an intriguing news item about a small, public liberal arts college nestled along Sarasota Bay. New College of Florida, an institution of which I had been unaware, had been thrust into the news.

According to the headlines, Governor DeSantis invited immediate outrage and protests by remaking the school’s Board of Trustees and charging it with moving in a new direction. Beneath those headlines, however, it seemed clear that the “new” direction was hardly new. DeSantis sought to reinvigorate the classical education, commitment to critical thinking, and atmosphere of civil discourse long central to the existence of liberal arts colleges.

I was riveted. I’d stepped away from academia thirty years earlier, believing that American higher education had become a broken industry in deep need of reform. I’d wondered how long it would be before the problems attracted widespread notice. It took decades. In 2021, thinking that we may have crossed the threshold, I published The New Civil War about the corrupt incentive systems driving our colleges and universities—and the ways that that corruption was spilling outward to threaten America.

Less than two years later, I’d found the first public official willing to act. DeSantis’s announcement turned New College into the poster child for higher ed reform. I felt compelled to join the effort.

Thanks in part to contacts I’d developed while promoting my book, I was able to take my pitch to then-Interim President Richard Corcoran: “Half my credentials are academic. The other half are as a troubleshooter and problem solver. Just bring me to town and put me on the team. I’ll work with you to fix whatever needs to be fixed.” Shortly thereafter, I received a callback with my first assignment: Admissions.

I arrived on campus weeks before the start of the 2023/24 academic year. What I found cut quickly through the sensationalized, politicized stories then dominating the press. The New College of 2022 had been a failed institution. Not failing, failed.

Had it not been for the generosity of the Florida legislature, New College would have been one of the many American liberal arts colleges to have closed shop. Those of us who follow such things know that while small liberal arts colleges have played a storied role in the history of American higher education, their niche is dwindling quickly. Though many have devoted alumni, only the few with hefty endowments can survive.

At the most basic level, New College wasn’t attracting students. Its longstanding enrollment goal had been 300 students per year. It had never come close. The classes entering 2020 and 2021 failed to break 200.

Leadership had long been aware of the problem. In 2016, it launched a self-improvement plan with clear benchmarks. By 2023, it had moved backward along every dimension. Physical plant was in terrible shape. In June 2023, the new leadership conducted long overdue environmental safety assessments to discover toxic levels of black mold in the primary dorms.

In January 2023, New College was a failed public institution sitting on undeveloped bayfront acreage immediately adjacent to an airport. It’s not hard to conceive of the most likely alternative to a takeover, change of leadership, and new institutional direction.

With my third academic year coming to a close, I can state unequivocally that the turnaround has been stark. The experiment is succeeding.

The campus has been given a facelift. New parks and ballfields, a reinvigorated waterfront, and renovated buildings show that life and growth have replaced decay. Enrollment is up. Test scores have rebounded following the dip that any transition would bring.

Most of the faculty members committed to stale, failing ideas and methods have already departed. The majority of those who’ve remained have been joined by new, largely young colleagues deeply committed to restoring this jewel of public education. A refreshed curriculum, top-flight adjuncts, and exciting guest speakers round out the picture.

In just over three years, New College has become a model of liberal arts education for the twenty-first century.

Still, the blind rage continues. Alumni, Sarasota locals, and documentary filmmakers—vocal if not numerous—lament the New College they “lost.” Few seem willing to acknowledge that, other than those whose memories include only the latter half of the 2010s, “their” New College disappeared long ago. Complaints about the gap between what the institution was during its first forty years and what it is today may be warranted—but hurling them at the leadership committed to its restoration are oddly misplaced.

It’s beyond time for those critics to pay attention to what’s actually been happening. Discomfort with change is always understandable. Decrying change for the better is folly. The revitalized New College of Florida should be a source of pride—to its alumni, to Sarasota, to the state, and to everyone committed to restoring the ideals of critical thinking and civil discourse.

I, for one, am proud to be part of it.

Bruce Abramson is Executive Director, Graduate Applied Data Science Recruiting, Admissions & Internships at New College of Florida. He is the author of eight books, including The New Civil War: Exposing Elites, Fighting Utopian Leftism, and Restoring America (RealClear Publishing, 2021), discussing the corruption of American higher education. 

If I meet someone new outside of my work circle, occasionally I’m asked, “What does a community foundation actually do?”

I love this question. Give me the chance to share what Manatee Community Foundation does and how our work reaches into many parts of the community, and I’ll take it. I’ll tell my listener about how we partner with donors and invest in nonprofits through grants and scholarships. I’ll mention how we bring community leaders into shared conversations. But another part of our work, and one we do not talk about enough, is how we support nonprofits beyond funding by helping them build the capacity they need for the long term.

Over the past few years, MCF has offered a learning series for nonprofits, at no cost, called Manatee Connects. We invite everyone: nonprofit staff, executive directors, board members, and local experts to these sessions, where we focus on the practical side of running an organization. There’s a lot to cover. Governance, fundraising, staffing, strategy, leadership, how organizations communicate their impact —they are part of the work, whether an organization is new or well established.

Anyone working in this sector knows how much is asked of nonprofit leaders. They are expected to manage programs, raise money, supervise staff, work with boards, respond to community needs, and still make time for professional development. Often the training available to them feels scattered, or too broad, or not at all relevant to where they are at. There can also be an unspoken pressure to attend everything a foundation offers, as if funding decisions are tied to participation. That does not serve anyone well.

We have recently fine-tuned the Manatee Connects program with those realities in mind, grouping the sessions in a way that makes more sense across the year, while giving organizations the flexibility to choose what fits. They can decide which sessions align with their stage of growth, the role of the person attending, and the challenges they are working through right now.

I hope this will be a meaningful shift for nonprofit teams. A newer organization with a handful of volunteers does not need the same guidance as a larger nonprofit with established leadership. A chief executive will need a different conversation than a development director or HR lead. We wanted people to leave with something practical, with clear next steps they can use right away. And early feedback has been encouraging. One participant who is new to nonprofit work said Manatee Connects “fills in the gaps,” while another described it as “a great go-to” for networking and resources. Others have spoken about the opportunity to learn, grow, and build meaningful connections with local nonprofits that share a commitment to strengthening the community.

We have also made room for a few offerings that fall outside the core structure but still meet real needs. This year’s program will include a session on ALICE data, which can help nonprofits better understand the communities they serve, and a series with WUSF for organizations interested in launching a podcast or marketing an existing one. I think sessions like these broaden the way we think about support. Capacity building can be as concrete as having the right data or a clearer message.

I’d like to point out that Manatee Connects depends on people who are willing to share what they know. Many of the session leaders are nonprofit professionals, consultants, and community partners who give their time generously. That willingness to share knowledge reflects the kind of community we have, where people take the opportunity to help one another do the work better.

At MCF, we often say we grow together, and that’s the idea here. Manatee Connects is not about asking already-stretched nonprofits to do more, but about giving them a place to learn what is useful and return to their work better equipped.

We have made a promise to help build a better Manatee County by connecting people and resources through philanthropy, and Manatee Connects is one way we live out that promise. We want to be a resource for nonprofits, with an always-open door. And the steadier our nonprofit sector is, the more resilient our community becomes.

Veronica Thames is the CEO of the Manatee Community Foundation. 

Pictured: Nonprofit partners attending a Mantee Connects learning experience. Provided photo,.

With spring fully underway, a meaningful milestone draws near. Graduation season is upon us in Sarasota County. It’s a time when caps are tossed skyward, families gather to celebrate, and a community pauses to recognize achievement and promise for the future.

This year, that sense of promise feels especially powerful.

Sarasota County Schools is celebrating a remarkable graduation rate of 94.3% for the 2024–2025 academic year, which is the highest in district history and a 1.8% increase over last year’s record-breaking rate. Behind that number are thousands of individual stories: students who persevered, educators who guided, and families who stood steadfast in support. It reflects what can happen when a community aligns around a shared belief that every student deserves the opportunity to succeed.

And Sarasota continues to show up.

In April, our community once again came together for the Giving Challenge, a powerful reminder of what is possible when neighbors invest in neighbors. Shortly after, we saw record numbers turn up for the Education Foundation’s third annual Ringling Bridge Run. This event is designed to bring runners together, uniting the community in purpose. Step by step, mile by mile, participants moved forward with students and teachers at the heart of it all. Yes, it was a race, but it was also a reflection of who we are.

That spirit carried into one of the most meaningful moments of the season: the Education Foundation’s Success Can’t Wait celebration on May 5, where we had the privilege of honoring public and charter school students from across Sarasota County with $172,400 in awards and scholarships to help launch their postsecondary journeys. With additional scholarships to come before the end of the academic year, that number will exceed $200,000. This recognition represents a vote of confidence, an investment in potential, and a message to students that their community believes in them.

Together, these moments tell a larger story.

They remind us that success in Sarasota County is not accidental. It is built through partnership, through generosity, and through a deep and abiding commitment to our young people. From the classroom to the community, from early learning to graduation day and beyond, we are creating pathways that ensure students don’t just graduate, but graduate with a purposeful plan and a sense of belonging.

As we celebrate this historic graduation year and the students behind it, we also celebrate the community that made it possible.

Because in Sarasota County, education is not just a priority, it is a shared promise. And as we continue our mission to support every student in reaching their fullest potential, one thing remains clear: we could never do this work alone.

The good news is, we don’t have to.

In Sarasota County, the support for education is not only visibly strong, it is unparalleled.

Jennifer Vigne is the President and CEO of the Education Foundation of Sarasota County. 

Pictured: Venice High School seniors receive the STRIVE Award at the May 5 Success Can’t Wait Celebration. Provided photo.

Every destination is on a journey to define itself. A task that’s easier said than done when you think about it. Finding and distilling the authentic spirit that makes up and differentiates a community is a delicate job, and the most successful do not invent a feeling: they discover it.

Visitors and residents have long been drawn to our shores by a rare concentration of creativity and cultural richness. But this culture does not end with a performance or a walk through the museum, it radiates beyond as the full expression of our region—how we gather, how we create, how we welcome, and even how we share a meal together.

Which is why three decades ago, our team at Visit Sarasota County curated a term that turned into a trademark— Florida’s Cultural Coast® —to capture this defining sense of who we are. While our bureau’s role is to compel people to choose us for their vacation or corporate meeting through this cultural branding, it’s the artistic leadership at our local experiences that validates its meaning.

Someone who truly embodies this is our 2026 Voice of Sarasota, Maestro Victor DeRenzi of the Sarasota Opera. Each year, our Board of Directors recognizes an individual whose leadership has furthered Sarasota County as a tourism destination on the world stage—and sometimes, their efforts even strengthen our reputation as Florida’s Cultural Coast®. This year’s honoree has uniquely done both in their more than 40 years at the Sarasota Opera.

Within those decades of enshrining the Opera’s global acclaim, Maestro DeRenzi oversaw no less than 1,550 opera performances and 222 productions spanning 123 different works. Under Maestro DeRenzi’s leadership, Sarasota Opera became the only company in the world to complete the full canon of Giuseppe Verdi’s work in 2016, making him the only conductor to have led every opera in the composer’s body of work.

Even as the longest-serving Artistic Director of any opera company in the nation, Maestro DeRenzi maintained an active conducting career across the United States and abroad. And in 2015, he was awarded the title of Cavaliere dell’Ordine della Stella d’Italia (Knight of the Order of the Star of Italy) by the Italian Republic for his role in advancing Italian culture internationally.

Earlier this week, hundreds of industry leaders celebrated Maestro DeRenzi at our National Travel & Tourism Week Celebration held in the iconic courtyard of the John and Mable Museum of Art. It was an evening defined by milestones, and perfectly in tune with Maestro’s recognition, as we raised a glass to several centennials including the Sarasota Opera House.

I shared earlier that culture is defined less by place and more by feeling. When we led our marketing efforts with Florida’s Cultural Coast®, the arts remain center stage. However, that same spirit of craftsmanship can be found within the buzzing kitchens of our restaurants, where chefs interpret our region’s charm with the same intentionality artists bring to the stage.

Because culture can be performed just as much as it can be plated. And there’s no better time to rediscover the flavor of our region than through Savor Sarasota, which is entering its 21st year in less than a month—from June 1 through June 14.

More than 50 restaurants have signed up to participate, offering pre-fixe menus for lunch and dinner, often elevated wine and drink pairings. I’ve heard some locals even put together spreadsheets to map out their full two weeks of dining out, and I’m tempted to do the same—referencing our free digital Flavor Trail pass!—to make the most of this most delicious time of the year.

Savor Sarasota continues to showcase the incredible chefs and culinary stories of our community and, like most of our campaigns, harkens back to our cultural throughlines. But just as critical, Savor drives business during a need period to local restaurants to ensure their creations keep nourishing our visitors and local economy.

Standing ovations and dining reservations. Two experiences that are seemingly separate but integrally tied together by occasion and Sarasota County’s distinct artistic character. I invite you to experience this feeling and let it stay with you from curtain call to last call—because that’s the true allure of visiting and living along Florida’s Cultural Coast.

Erin Duggan, CDME, is President and CEO of Visit Sarasota County. 

Pictured L to R: John LaCivita, President and CEO of Willis Smith Construction and Board Chair of Visit Sarasota County, Maestro Victor DeRenzi, the 2026 Voice of Sarasota County Award recipient, and Erin Duggan. Provided photo.