Board of Directors

Danielle Barnard

Vice Chair | Private Sector Representative

Lauri Benson

Member at Large | Public Sector Representative

Jim Delgado

Member at Large | Public Sector Representative

Brittany Downer

Member at Large & Head Start Policy Council Chair | Client Sector Representative

Kacee Graulich

Member at Large | Client Sector Representative

Charlie Kennedy

Secretary | Public Sector Representative

Lisa Gonzalez Moore

Board Chair | Public Sector Representative

Vanessa Opstal

Member at Large | Private Sector Representative

Dr. Laura Redeker

Member at Large | Private Sector Representative

Stacy Smith

Member at Large | Public Sector Representative

Jodie Williams

Member at Large | Client Sector Representative

Barbara Vedder

Treasurer | Private Sector Representative

The Board of Directors at Step Up Suncoast is a tripartite board structure, which is comprised of members from the private sector, local government, and the low-income community. Each member has an equal voice in setting policy and program development. If you are interested in learning more or applying to be a board member, please contact 941-827-2887 for more details.

 

PUBLIC NOTICE:

The Step Up Suncoast, Inc. Board of Directors has regularly scheduled meetings at 12:00pm on the following dates in 2026:

  • January 29, 2026
  • February 26, 2026
  • March 26, 2026
  • April 30, 2026
  • May 28, 2026
  • June 25, 2026
  • August 27, 2026
  • September 24, 2026
  • October 29, 2026
  • December 3, 2026

The Board of Directors has five standing committees.

  • Executive Committee - meets as needed
    • The Executive Committee has called a special meeting on Tuesday, October 6, 2026, at 1:30pm. This meeting will be hosted via Zoom.
  • Finance and Audit Committee - meets at 12:00pm on the last Tuesday of each month
    • The Finance and Audit Committee has changed its September meeting to September 23, 2026, at 12:00pm. This meeting will be hosted via Zoom.
  • Program Committee - meets at 11:45am on the third Monday of each month
  • Governance Committee - meets at 11:00am on the third Thursday of each month
  • Philanthropy Committee and Advisory Council - meets at 9:00am on the last Thursday of each month

Most board meetings are hosted in hybrid format (in-person at 6428 Parkland Drive, Sarasota, FL 34243 and via Zoom), and all are open to the public. If you are interested in attending, would like a copy of the agenda, or would like minutes from a past meeting, please reach out to Marisa Knight at mknight@stepupsuncoast.org for more details.