Monica Slater Van Buskirk has resigned after six years as President and CEO of the Van Wezel Foundation, but not before announcing a $10 million donation that will be the largest in the history of the organization.
She plans to remain in Sarasota and work with other nonprofit organizations.
“I absolutely have a next step coming up,” said Van Buskirk, 65. “I like working.”
Van Buskirk declined to share her reasons for leaving the foundation, which raises money for the Van Wezel Performing Arts Hall. She planned to resign in November, but said the board of trustees persuaded her to work through September in a transition period. Then negotiations broke down over whether or how soon she could work for another local organization.
“I thought that was short-sighted,” Van Buskirk says. “Honestly, I didn’t want to put my donors and employees through any more stress. I wanted to resolve whether I was staying or going.”
When asked if her resignation had anything to do with the possibility of a new arts center in the Sarasota Bayfront project, she was more forthcoming.
“That’s the big question,” Van Buskirk said. “How could I be hurting the future of the Van Wezel when I attended the very first meeting of Bayfront 2020? How could I be hurting the future of the Van Wezel if I just raised $10 million?”
Mike Martella, president of the Board of Trustees for the Van Wezel Foundation, was traveling on Monday and could not be reached for comment. In a statement distributed by the foundation late Friday afternoon, he said: “Monica has very significantly raised the profile of the Foundation during her 10-year involvement — first as a fellow board member and for the last six years as our CEO. Through her leadership, our fundraising efforts were taken to a new level. On behalf of the board, I want to thank her for her dedication and her unique ability to draw in passionate supporters of the Foundation mission.”
The foundation said it will soon announce details of the $10 million donation to the performing arts hall, which is known for its purple silhouette on Sarasota Bay.
During Van Buskirk’s time at the Van Wezel, the foundation had double-digit growth and won several awards. These included the 2014 Frank G. Berlin, Sr. Cultural Organization of the Year from the Greater Sarasota Chamber of Commerce.
In the last six years, more than 150,000 schoolchildren have ridden chartered buses to Van Wezel’s “Schooltime Performances.” The foundation also became well-known for its annual gala — named “Best Fundraising Event” by Sarasota Magazine.
Van Buskirk, who lives on Bird Key with her husband Richard, came to Sarasota 22 years ago after a business career in New York City. She had been vice president of marketing at Godiva Chocolatier, as well as vice president of Brentano’s Book Stores and MacMillan Publishing.
After coming to Sarasota, Van Buskirk became a property consultant and began working for the Van Wezel.
“I started out as a volunteer — I’m very proud of that,” she says. “We’ve been donors for a long time, too, and then I joined the board.”
Since announcing her resignation on Facebook, Van Buskirk says she has gotten hundreds of replies from supporters in Sarasota.
“I was stunned by this voice that rose,” she said. “I feel like I have a lot of opportunities.”