SANCA Board hires Robert J. Sullivan as new president and CEO

Sarasota, FL – The board of directors for the Suncoast Aquatic Nature Center Associates, Inc. (SANCA), the non-profit that manages Sarasota County’s Nathan Benderson Park, has announced that veteran event and venue management executive, Robert J. Sullivan, CFE will come on board as the organization’s president and CEO. With more than thirty-five years experience, Sullivan will be responsible for overseeing all aspects of the park’s operations and management. He will officially take the reins on Monday, August 15th.

According to Bill Robinson, chairman of the SANCA board, more than 60 resumes were submitted to SANCA and the board voted unanimously on Sullivan. “Bob’s mindset that public venues are designed to provide a variety of events and activities that enhance the quality of life and economic opportunities for the citizens and businesses in the community mirrors our philosophy,” said Robinson. “We are confident he is the right person to lead Nathan Benderson Park and the great team we currently have in place.”

Sullivan comes to the area from Wichita Falls, Texas, where he managed the Multi-Purpose Events Center (MPEC) consisting of an arena, convention center, horse exhibition center, and memorial auditorium for the past eleven years. In addition to MPEC, Bob was responsible for the management of the Convention & Visitors Bureau. Prior to Wichita Falls, Bob had been in senior management roles in a variety of communities and venues including the Cow Palace in San Francisco, Sheffield Arena in Sheffield, England, Shoreline Amphitheater in Mountain View, California and the MetroCentre in Rockford, Illinois.

Throughout his career, Sullivan has managed venues that have staged amateur and professional hockey programs, arena football and indoor soccer, as well as high school, college and professional basketball and hockey programs. Over the years, he has been involved in numerous regional and international sporting activities including the Hotter n’ Hell Hundred Bicycle Race in Wichita Falls, the World Student Games in Sheffield, England, and the USA vs. Russia volleyball exhibition in San Francisco, to name just a few. Furthermore, his experience also includes the concert industry, presenting events from Seinfeld to Lollapalooza on stages seating five hundred people to festivals exceeding three hundred thousand attendees. Sullivan received his Certified Facilities Executive designation (CFE) in 1998 from the International Association of Venue Managers.

“Nathan Benderson Park has established itself as a premier rowing center and versatile county park hosting a multitude of community sponsored events,” said Sullivan. “I am excited to begin working with the SANCA board, the staff and Sarasota County Government, taking NBP to the next level of excellence locally and on a world stage.”

ABOUT SANCA

The Suncoast Aquatic Nature Center Associates, Inc. (SANCA), is a not-for-profit business created to manage Nathan Benderson Park, a county-owned, community/public asset and world class, multi-use sports venue. Its mission is to improve the quality of life for our community and be an economic generator for the Sarasota-Bradenton area. SANCA’s primary purpose is to develop and promote Nathan Benderson Park as a world class event center, team training site and Sarasota County Park, while providing outreach programs through recreation, safety training, education and volunteering as a service to our community.