Social services nonprofit names new CEO

SARASOTA — JFCS of the Suncoast named Arthur Lerman CEO.

Lerman has served as interim CEO for the past six months, according to a press release. He will continue to lead JFCS, using over 25 years of experience in nonprofit management. Lerman has a strong history of stabilizing and growing both nonprofit and for-profit organizations, a statement says.

Lerman has extensive experience providing senior services and support to individuals with intellectual disabilities. He has over 20 years of experience serving in an executive director role. He worked for a national management consulting firm assisting states with long-term care and behavioral health programs. He was also elected to the Maine House of Representatives where he served two terms, the release states. 

“Arthur has done an excellent job leading the organization as our Interim CEO,” says Dean Miller, chair of the JFCS Board of Directors, in the statement. “We were very impressed with the work Arthur accomplished. The board went through a rigorous and comprehensive review of Arthur’s candidacy upon learning of his interest in the permanent position. We are very pleased to have Arthur on board to provide leadership for the foreseeable future.”

Since moving to the Sarasota area in 2007, Lerman had been executive director of iTNSuncoast, an organization that provides transportation services to seniors and others who do not drive. He was also interim executive director of We Care Manatee, a nonprofit providing access to medical services for individuals without health insurance. He served on the Sarasota County Seniors Advisory Council, the Stakeholders in Aging Task Force, the board of directors of the Southwest Florida Area Agency on Aging and the Transportation Disadvantaged Committee of the MPO.

“I am honored to be selected by the board of directors to be JFCS’s permanent CEO," says Lerman in the statement. "It is an outstanding organization that will continue to make substantial contributions to the wellbeing of our community. I look forward to continuing to work with the outstanding JFCS board of directors and staff who, like myself, are dedicated to making our community a better place for all.” 

Jewish Family & Children’s Service of the Suncoast provides counseling, personal supports and financial assistance to youth, families, veterans, seniors and individuals who are homeless in Sarasota, Manatee, Charlotte, Lee, Desoto and Collier counties. For over 30 years, JFCS has provided services to people in need regardless of their religious background.