Gulf Coast Community Foundation Announces 2026-2027 Board of Directors
Image: Courtesy Photo
Gulf Coast Community Foundation has announced the election of its 2026-2027 board of directors, including the re-election of Anand Pallegar as chair and Rose-Anne Frano as vice chair, plus the addition of three new board members.
The foundation also announced that president and CEO Phillip Lanham has renewed his contract through 2031. Lanham was hired in 2023, succeeding outgoing president and CEO Mark Pritchett, who retired that year.
Pallegar (the CEO of Sarasota Magazine and founder of DreamLarge, the magazine's parent company) and Frano were elected to serve a one-year term as officers beginning July 1. The board also welcomed three new board members: CoolToday founder Jaime DiDomenico, fintech executive Will Dolan and Observer Media Group president Emily Walsh—each for a three-year term.
"Community foundations are at their best when they bring together people with different perspectives, experiences and capabilities in service of a shared future. Emily, Jaime, and Will each bring valuable expertise and a deep commitment to this region," Pallegar said in a press release announcing the leadership updates. "Alongside Phillip's continued leadership, they strengthen our ability to convene, invest, and help address the opportunities and challenges that will shape our community for years to come."
“The work of a community foundation is grounded in partnership, with donors, with community members, with the people navigating real challenges every day,” added Lanham. “At its core, that means meeting urgent needs, especially in times of crisis, and I'm grateful to continue doing that in a community my family and I care deeply about.”
Image: Courtesy Photo
In addition to adding DiDomenico, Dolan and Walsh to the board, the foundation celebrated the end of Anne Essner, Pete Petersen, and Susan Sofia's terms as directors. The other members of the foundation board for the 2026-2027 fiscal year are Ping Faulhaber, John Giglio, David Green, Rod Hershberger, Keith Johnson, Phillip Lanham, Deb Kabinoff, Frank Martucci, Elizabeth Moore, Gail Morganroth and David Sessions.
