Selby names Turner Chief Advancement Officer

Marlo Turner will join the staff of Selby Gardens in January as Vice President and Chief Advancement Officer, the organization announced this week. 

Turner was most recently vice president of development at Tidewell Foundation, a position she held since September 2020. He also worked as senior vice president of philanthropy at Community Foundation of Sarasota County for nearly five years.

“As Selby Gardens embarks on its exciting future, we are thrilled to welcome Marlo to this vital leadership role with our organization,” said Jennifer Rominiecki, president and CEO of Marie Selby Botanical Gardens said in a prepared statement. “Her experience and knowledge of the community are invaluable.”

 At the Community Foundation of Sarasota County, Turner  helped the organization grow to more than $400 million in assets and earn high rankings as a national leader in community impact and donor satisfaction. She also has a track record of success in capital campaigns and donor engagement at major cultural and educational institutions, Selby Gardens said in a news release. 

The transformational master plan for Selby Gardens' downtown adjacent campus is underway, a project Turner will immediately work to support, Rominiecki said. 

The first of three phases in the Selby Gardens master plan will include a new four-story, 450-space parking garage, a welcome center, a plant research building and an accessory restaurant. Groundbreaking for that phase was held in June, at which time about $40 million of the necessary $42 million had been raised. 

“Many of our donors already know Marlo well, and those who haven’t yet met her are going to love her,” Rominiecki said.