Sarasota County Schools announced that Jamal Crook has been appointed as the new principal of Booker High School. The district also announced that Ryan Chase, current principal of Sarasota High School, has been selected to serve in a district-level leadership role; Sean Donovan, the current principal of Oak Park School, has been selected to serve as the new principal of Sarasota High School; and Dustin Coleman, currently an assistant principal at Oak Park School, has been selected to serve as the new principal of Oak Park School. Sarasota County Schools has also been named a Guy Harvey Conservation District for the 2025-2026 school year in recognition of the district’s commitment to environmental education through teacher professional development, experiential learning and environmental leadership. 

The Sarasota Manatee Airport Authority (SMAA) has renamed Airport Circle at Sarasota Bradenton International Airport (SRQ) to Rick Piccolo Circle, honoring Fredrick J. (Rick) Piccolo for his three decades of service as the airport's president and chief executive officer. 

First 1,000 Days Suncoast has hired a new family navigator: Jailene Soto. 

SRQ Strong, a nonprofit dedicated to building trauma-informed and resilient communities across Sarasota and Manatee counties, has named Hilary Espinosa as its new executive director.

Six Sarasota County Schools educators were recently selected for Charles & Margery Barancik Foundation’s 2026 Ripple Effect Teacher Award:  Hal Anderson, Law Academy coordinator/instructor, Booker High School; Megan Ehlers, marine science teacher, Sarasota High School;  Ken Hall, ACCESS Teacher (middle school), Oak Park School; Stacy Lenz, math teacher (grades 2–3), Gulf Gate Elementary School; Tonya Quinn, literacy coach/interventionist, Phillippi Shores Elementary School; and Erin Tuttle, ESE resource teacher (grades 4–5), Brentwood Elementary School.

Sarasota Memorial Health Care System has been named one of the nation’s "15 Top Health Systems" by Modern Healthcare and Premier Inc. Additionally, both its Sarasota and Venice hospitals earned the highest 5-Star quality rating from the U.S. Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS).

Six Manatee County students, nominated by Rep. Vern Buchanan, have received an appointment to a U.S. Service Academy: Jack Crosbie, Lakewood Ranch High School, appointed to the U.S. Air Force Academy; Erik Geiger Thompson, Culver Academy, appointed to the U.S. Naval Academy; Makayla Berlin, Farragut Academy, appointed to the U.S. Military Academy; Etienne Gaillard, Acellus Academy, appointed to the U.S. Military Academy; Dax Morgan, IMG Academy, appointed to the U.S. Merchant Marines Academy; and Aidan Peters, Georgia Military College, appointed to the U.S. Naval Academy.