Bayfront planning organization members revealed

A group of nine Sarasota leaders will be responsible for facilitating the production of a community-backed master plan for 42 acres of city-owned land surrounding the Van Wezel Performing Arts Hall.

Today, Sarasota Bayfront 20:20 announced the board of directors of the new planning organization that will take the lead on the development of that public land. The board members are:

• Tom Barwin, Sarasota city manager
• Al Carlson, retired CEO of Sun Hydraulics
• Jennifer Compton, an attorney at the Shumaker, Loop & Kendrick law firm and chairwoman of Girls. Inc of Sarasota County
• Keith Dubose, an attorney at the Matthews Eastmoore law firm
• Michael Klauber, president of Michael’s on East and chairman of Sarasota Bayfront 20:20
• A.G. Lafley, former CEO of Procter & Gamble
• Bob Lane, a CPA at accounting firm Kerkering Barberio
• Cathy Layton, retired commercial real estate broker
• Cynthia McCague, former Coca-Cola senior executive

The planning organization, a distinct entity from Sarasota Bayfront 20:20, will partner with a professional project manager and planning firm to help develop concrete plans for the redevelopment of the city-owned land.

Jon Thaxton, a Bayfront 20:20 leader and member of the five-person group that helped select the board members, said the goal was to find capable members of the community that didn't have ties to any of the organizations that may be directly impacted by the bayfront planning process.

“I would offer these nine as the cream of the crop,” Thaxton said. “If you look at the resumes of these individuals, they are impeccable. They are persons who have demonstrated trustworthiness, and they have demonstrated their ability to get the job done, which was important.”

Bayfront 20:20 will continue to advocate for the interests of the 54 member organizations who have endorsed the vision for a master plan for the city land. Any ideas created by the planning organization would eventually need city approval, so Thaxton said the board of directors has a significant incentive to keep the planning process public.

“Bayfront 20:20 will be kind of the conscience of this process — that will make sure it is open and professional and transparent,” Thaxton said.

Although the board has not met yet, Klauber said he hoped the planning organization could produce a plan in no longer than 18 months earlier this summer.