Phillips named chair of Longboat Key Foundation

Susan Phillips is the new chair of the Longboat Key Foundation’s board of directors, taking over for the organization’s founder, Jim Brown.

Phillips was elected by the board following Brown’s announcement in January he was retiring from his position.

“Susan is uniquely qualified to lead the foundation into the future,’’ Brown said. “Her experience, collaborative style, fresh ideas, and demonstrated leadership will re-energize our foundation and ensure its continued success.”

The foundation was formed in 2019 with the goal of identifying opportunities around the town and helping fund them. Among its successful projects, raising $3.5 million for an enhanced Sarasota County library at the Town Center Green, for which U.S. Rep. Vern Buchanan and his wife were top contributors; raising money for the design and construction of the Karon Family Pavilion, also at the Town Center Green; and installation of artificial turf at the town’s dog park enclosures at Bayfront Park.

Brown is a retired architect originally from Huntsville, Alabama. He’s been a Longboat resident since 1999 and served four terms as the town’s mayor.

Phillips long served in Town Hall as executive assistant to the town manager and has led several fundraising roles on the island. She’s lived on Longboat Key for 28 years. Before Longboat Key, Phillips worked on St. Simons Island in Georgia. There, she managed a family restaurant that sat 800 to 1,200 people, depending on the occasion. 

“Longboat Key is considered one of the most beautiful and premier communities in Florida, if not in the entire country,’’ Phillips said. “My focus is to elevate that distinction, with initiatives that enrich the experience, and quality of life we all enjoy here.’’