Nonprofit plucks new CEO

The organization in charge of Nathan Benderson Park in north Sarasota, host location for the 2017 World Rowing Championships, named event industry veteran Robert Sullivan president and CEO.

Sullivan officially takes on the position Aug. 15, according to a release. He will report to the board of the Suncoast Aquatic Nature Center Associates, the nonprofit that oversees the park. Sullivan replaces Paul Blackketter, who resigned in April but agreed to stay on until a replacement was named.

“Nathan Benderson Park has established itself as a premier rowing center and versatile county park hosting a multitude of community sponsored events,” Sullivan says in the release. “I am excited to begin working with the SANCA board, the staff and Sarasota County government, taking NBP to the next level of excellence locally and on a world stage.”

Sullivan previously managed the Multi-Purpose Events Center in Wichita Falls, Texas, which houses a 1,200-seat agricultural center; a 58,000-square-foot meeting hall and a park; and an auditorium that seats 2,700 guests and a coliseum that seats 6,500 people. Sullivan has also overseen facilities and events at the Cow Palace in San Francisco; Sheffield Arena in Sheffield, England; and the Shoreline Amphitheater in Mountain View, Calif.