Selby Gardens appoints new CFO

SARASOTA — Marie Selby Botanical Gardens, a prominent nonprofit botanical research center near downtown Sarasota, named Carol Ann Malinowski chief financial officer.

Malinowski comes to Selby after a two-year stint in New York City with Girl Scouts of the USA, where she was vice president and interim CFO, according to a release.

“Carol Ann is a seasoned financial executive who has experience in building systems that help nonprofit organizations achieve greater capacities,” Selby Gardens President and CEO Tom Buchter says in the statement. “Her diverse background, fresh perspective and strategic approach have already established her credibility, and we look forward to benefitting from her financial leadership of the organization.”

Malinowski's responsibilities include financial management, accounting, human resources, risk management, investment portfolio oversight and grant financial reporting.

“I am excited about joining the staff of such an iconic institution at a significant moment in its 40-year history,” says Malinowski in the statement. “Following a successful capital campaign to create a new children's rainforest, the Gardens is seeing record visitors, and donor confidence is on the rise.”

Marie Selby Botanical Gardens, now on 13 acres, opened in 1975. The organization focuses on scientific research, education, horticultural display and conservation.