Earlier this summer, Charles & Margery Barancik Foundation hosted our first summer intern. We aimed to provide a meaningful introduction to the people, institutions, and issues that shape our community, along with hands-on opportunities to contribute to the daily work of a mission-driven organization. We also sought to customize the learning experience through the lens of our intern’s particular academic and career interests.

We met our inaugural intern, Milordjie C., through Boys & Girls Clubs of Sarasota and DeSoto Counties. She aspires to be a nurse practitioner, so we reached out to several partners in the healthcare field, as well as others in “helping professions” that intersect with health and wellness, to see if they might help us. To a one, they generously offered to share time, knowledge, and access with Milordjie, regardless of their own workloads and busy schedules. (Even more partners raised their hands, but we simply couldn’t fit them all into Milordjie’s busy calendar while she also helped with the Foundation’s work.)

Over nearly two months with us, Milordjie met with nurses and administrators at a variety of nonprofit and public health organizations. She toured their facilities, shadowed caregivers, tried out new technology, and asked lots of good questions. Beyond a glimpse of what they do on a daily basis, each professional she met shared personal insights, candid advice, and gracious offers of ongoing mentorship and support.

In a thoughtful column published in this space last week (srqmagazine.com/srq-daily/2026-08-22/30167_A-Community-Cares-When-You-Do-Too), Milordjie reflected on how those conversations opened her eyes to so much more than she knew was possible through nursing. I was lucky enough to join a few of her visits, and they opened my eyes too. Sure, I expected the people we were meeting with to be smart, caring professionals. But after seeing how they treated Milordjie, that feels like a serious understatement.

During each visit or virtual interview, Milordjie was offered hard-earned perspectives from life as a nurse along with enthusiastic affirmations of her chosen profession. The nurses she met were deeply dedicated to the difficult work they do and genuinely excited to meet a young person eager to join their ranks. They quickly sensed that Milordjie is a natural caregiver and wrapped their arms around her, figuratively and literally. It was humbling and inspiring to see just how much these caregivers cared.

As Milordjie’s time with the Foundation wound down, I couldn’t help but smile at the thank-you messages I received in response to my own thank-you messages to her various hosts. “Your visit energized our whole day,” wrote one. “We love sharing our center with others, and it’s so gratifying to encourage someone like Milordjie, who will be such a wonderful addition to the nursing profession.”

“She certainly is a lovely, capable young lady,” wrote another. “I feel that she will be a wonderful, caring nurse.”

While I got to witness how much these professionals poured into our young intern, it’s even more impactful to realize that they bring the same passion, commitment, and joy to the work they do and the people they care for every day. To Sarasota’s helping professionals, thank you for inviting Milordjie into your world. And thank you for all you do for the Sarasota community!

Greg Luberecki is Chief Communications and Learning Officer at Charles & Margery Barancik Foundation. 

Photo courtesy of Barancik Foundation.

To read Milordjie's column in last week's edition of SRQ Daily, please click here.

For business leaders, some of the most consequential forces affecting our companies originate far beyond the boundaries of Sarasota County.

A shift in global trade. An infrastructure investment hundreds of miles away. A disruption at a port. Each can influence the cost of doing business, the movement of goods, access to markets and a region’s ability to compete for investment and talent.

Understanding those connections is critical as Sarasota County looks to the next chapter of our economy.

On September 24, the Economic Development Corporation of Sarasota County will bring together our region’s business and community leaders for our 2026 Annual Meeting. This year’s theme, Leading Business Forward, reflects both our progress and our focus on what comes next.

Our keynote speaker, Federal Maritime Commission Chairman Laura DiBella, will bring a national perspective to the forces shaping business and economic competitiveness and what they mean for Sarasota County.

You don’t need to operate a shipping company to be affected by maritime commerce. Ports and supply chains influence businesses and consumers across the economy. Sarasota County is part of a larger regional ecosystem, with proximity to SeaPort Manatee and Port Tampa Bay connecting our community to domestic and global markets.

Chairman DiBella will explore how ports, infrastructure, logistics and global market access contribute to competitiveness, how federal decisions affect local commerce and investment, and the trends business leaders should be watching as trade and supply chains evolve.

Our Annual Meeting is also a time to celebrate the leadership positioning Sarasota County for the future. This year, the EDC became an Accredited Economic Development Organization, placing us among fewer than 100 accredited economic development organizations worldwide.

That recognition reflects the strength of our organization and the work being done to advance economic development in Sarasota County. It also places our EDC among a select group of organizations meeting the highest standards of the profession.

At the Annual Meeting, we’ll also share our 2026 Annual Report, introduce our 2027 Board of Directors and recognize the recipient of the Clyde Nixon Leadership Award.

The event will provide a look at the work underway, the people leading it and the priorities shaping Sarasota County’s economic future. I hope you’ll join us on September 24 as we continue Leading Business Forward. Reserve your seat in the link below.

Erin Silk is the President and CEO of EDC Sarasota County. 

Pictured: Federal Maritime Commission Chairman Laura DiBella. Provided photo.

For reservations click here.

Some of the most meaningful investments we make aren't financial. They're investments in people and knowledge. After decades in philanthropy, I've learned the same lesson over and over: organizations are only as strong as the people running them. When those people have the right skills and the right information, they make better decisions. As our community changes, and adapts to challenges along with it, staying informed and having the right skills to respond matters.

Invest in Incredible (i3), Gulf Coast Community Foundation (Gulf Coast)'s nonprofit capacity-building initiative, is one opportunity for nonprofit board members and employees to strengthen those skills. The workshops focus on practical knowledge that participants can put to work right away, with topics ranging from fundraising and charitable giving strategies to board governance, leadership, finance, and communications. That breadth is intentional. An organization is stronger when its team understands more than just their own piece of it.

In September, I will lead two practical workshops, including Planned Giving Instruments & Strategies on Sept. 15, where I'll share practical approaches to planned giving and how to have more confident conversations with donors about creating lasting gifts. The Building Your Endowment session on Sept. 29 takes a different but related approach, focusing on how organizations can build a long-term source of financial support for their mission. This is the kind of specialized learning i3 offers across its programming, giving professionals access to knowledge they can apply immediately.

For the times when a workshop opens the door to a more specific need, i3 offers ways to get focused support. Consultants are available to work one-on-one with staff and boards on specific challenges, questions, or areas where they could use some additional guidance. Gulf Coast Leadership Institute (GCLI) and Gulf Coast Board Institute (GCBI) also offer more in-depth training for people at different stages of their roles, from those just starting to those with years of experience. Both give people a chance to sharpen what they know and contribute more meaningfully to the place they call home.

I3 workshops are not limited to those who work directly in philanthropy. The initiative goes beyond staff and executive leadership, offering learning opportunities for board members, professional advisors, emerging leaders, and others across the nonprofit sector. This summer, Gulf Coast hired Melissa Ehrhardt, the Foundation’s first full-time Director, Capacity Building, with a focus on expanding i3’s reach into Charlotte and DeSoto Counties. It's an investment in the health of the nonprofit sector across our whole region. Melissa believes deeply in what nonprofits can do for the people they serve, and she's looking forward to being out in the community, working alongside Gulf Coast's cohort of sector-expert consultants to meet the needs of nonprofits here.

Philanthropy works best when everyone involved — from donors to nonprofit teams to professional advisors — keep learning as needs change. A board member who strengthens their understanding of governance, a staff member who develops new communications skills, or a development professional who deepens their understanding of donor strategies can each bring that knowledge back to their organization and put it to use immediately. Professional advisors can also benefit, whether they want to better understand charitable strategies they can discuss with clients or bring that knowledge to their own board service.

When we continue learning and sharing what we know, we all play a part in creating and sustaining a stronger nonprofit sector.

Joe Carter, CAP is Vice President, Philanthropy at Gulf Coast Community Foundation. 

Pictured: Joe Carter, CAP leads an Invest in Incredible (i3) workshop designed for nonprofit professionals. Provided photo.