Neighbor News
CYD and Boys & Girls Clubs present 11th annual Leadership Breakfast
Congressman Vern and Sandy Buchanan, and longtime Sarasota County Schools Superintendent Lori White to be honored on September 16
SARASOTA, FL – On Friday, September 16, CYD (Community Youth Development) and the Boys & Girls Clubs will present the 11th annual Leadership Breakfast, celebrating community members who support youth as leaders in our community. The honorees this year are Congressman Vern and Sandy Buchanan, and Sarasota County Schools Superintendent Lori White. The event takes place at the Lee Wetherington Boys & Girls Club (3100 Fruitville Rd., Sarasota) from 7:30-9:00am.
Five-term Congressman Vern Buchanan and his wife, Sandy, support many local charities and organizations as well as orphanages in and outside of the United States through the Buchanan Family Foundation. Congressman Buchanan has committed himself to diverse community causes, including Boys & Girls Clubs, Community Foundation of Sarasota County, Walk to Cure Juvenile Diabetes, American Heart Walk, Mote Marine Laboratory, and Ringling Museum of Art. Sandy is currently on the board of trustees for Tidewell Hospice. The two live on Longboat Key and have two grown sons, James and Matt.
Sarasota County Schools Superintendent Lori White has served in her current post since 2008. During her tenure, an independent study of the district’s effectiveness and efficiency by MGT of America concluded that the district is one of the best-run school systems the company has reviewed, citing high performance and innovative practices. A 38-year veteran of the district, White began her career in the Sarasota County Schools in 1977 as a special education teacher at Ashton Elementary School; she earned numerous administrative roles on her path to Superintendent.
White invited CYD to partner on one of her community-based advisory groups, the Superintendent’s Student Advisory Council, which is made up of CYD STAR Leadership Training graduates who represent each of the high schools in the district. The Advisory Council acts as a liaison between White’s office and the students’ schools; the group hosts the annual Superintendent’s Forum, a yearly gathering of district students and personnel.
"We believe all youth have the opportunity to become leaders. By connecting them to opportunities and giving them a voice through skill-building programs and life-changing experiences, they are inspired to make a difference in our community,” said CYD executive director Karen Bogues. “Thanks to the support of community members like the Buchanans and Lori White, programs like STAR Leadership Training and SRQVolunteen can help young people find their voices and develop the confidence and skills that will serve them now and well into the future.”
Champion sponsor is FCCI Insurance Group; Visionary sponsors are Gulf Coast Community Foundation. Layton & Company, Neal Communities, Plymouth Harbor on Sarasota Bay, Sarasota Classified/Teachers Association, Shutts & Bowen, Target Graphics, and Williams Parker Harrison Deitz & Getzen; media sponsor is the Herald-Tribune Media Group; and magazine sponsor is SRQ Magazine. Sponsorship opportunities are available.
Please contact Yolanda Mancha at CYD for more information: yolanda@cydonline.org or (941) 922-5126.
About CYD
CYD, which is celebrating 20 years of great programs to benefit area teens, provides the tools to empower youth as leaders in service to their community. Students in grades 6-12 participate in a variety of 21st century skill development programs. In 2015, CYD served over 2,000 middle and high school students through 160 youth development activities throughout Sarasota County. CYD is funded in part by Bank of America Client Foundation, Roberta Leventhal Sudakoff Foundation, Scheidel Foundation, Sarasota County Government, and Volunteer Florida. For more information, call (941) 922-5126 or go to www.cydonline.org.
About Boys & Girls Clubs
The Boys & Girls Clubs of Sarasota County have played an integral role in the Sarasota County community for more than 46 years, providing daily programs and services to thousands of young people. The Mission of the Boys & Girls Clubs of Sarasota County is to enable all young people, especially those who need us most, to reach their full potential as productive, caring, responsible citizens. The vision is to provide a world-class Club experience that assures success is within reach of every young person who walks through our doors, with all members on track to graduate from high school with a plan for the future, demonstrating good character and citizenship, and living a healthy lifestyle. For more information, call (941) 366-3911 or go to www.bgcsarasota.org.
