Visit Sarasota County (VSC) has named its vice-president, Erin Duggan, as the organization's new president and CEO, effective September 30 when current president Virginia Haley retires.

In hindsight, it seems Duggan was a well-liked choice from the beginning. "We’re very lucky that we have a strong vice-president who has applied for the job," Haley told us back in February after announcing her retirement.

Duggan has worked with VSC since 2005, first as its public relations manager, then as its brand director, and then, starting in 2016, as its vice-president. In her various roles, she helped create initiatives like Sarasota County's airline marketing incentive program, which attracted new air service into the Sarasota Bradenton International Airport, and Savor Sarasota Restaurant Week, which occurs every year during the first two weeks of June. 

Additionally, Duggan has been a longtime leader in the local community, serving as president of the Junior League of Sarasota and past chair of the Greater Sarasota Chamber of Commerce’s Youth Leadership Program.  She is a graduate of the Gulf Coast Community Foundation Leadership Institute and the Sarasota Chamber’s Leadership Sarasota programs.

Professionally, Duggan has served on the board of directors for Destinations Florida, the trade association for all of Florida’s destination tourism organizations, the Board of the Society of American Travel Writers and the Visit Florida Marketing Council.  She was named one of Sarasota Magazine's 30 Under 30  in 2007 and one of 40 under 40 by the Tampa Bay Business Observer in 2016.

Prior to her career at VSC, Duggan served as the community relations manager for the Economic Development Corporation of Sarasota County and the director of marketing and communications for United Way of Manatee County. She's a graduate of Florida Southern College and holds a certified destination management executive (CDME) designation from Destinations International and Purdue University. She lives in Sarasota and is married to attorney Patrick Duggan. They have two teenage sons.