SANCA hires new CEO and president to oversee Nathan Benderson Park in Sarasota

The Suncoast Aquatic and Nature Center Associates, the nonprofit that oversees Nathan Benderson Park in Sarasota, has hired Tomás Herrera-Mishler as its new CEO and president.

Current CEO/President Stephen Rodriguez will shift to the role of chief operating officer.

Herrera-Mishler has served the past five years as president and CEO of the Balboa Park Conservancy in San Diego.

In 2019, SANCA held 131 events with more than 150,000 participants at Nathan Benderson Park, according to its release. The growth prompted the organizational change.

“The park is entering a new phase of growth and has tremendous potential to increase its facilities, programs and utilization to improve the quality of life in our community," said Ronald Shapo, chairman of the SANCA board, in a release. "We are very pleased that Tomás has agreed to assume the mantle of leadership of the park as we move forward. His unique background and skill set will be invaluable in helping us achieve our goals and maximize our future growth in a fiscally responsible and environmentally sensitive manner.”

Herrera-Mishler oversaw fundraising for the San Diego Zoo, 17 museums and 20 public gardens at the Balboa Park Conservancy while managing a $4.3 million operating budget with a staff of 26, according to the release.