Former area daily newspaper editor joins prominent foundation

SARASOTA — The Charles & Margery Barancik Foundation recently announced the addition of Matthew Sauer as its new collaboration and impact officer.

Sauer will work with Foundation leadership to develop and drive grantmaking priorities that will promote changes in the areas of education, humanitarian causes, arts and culture, the environment, and medical research, according to a statement. 

“We are positioning ourselves to appropriately respond to the community’s growing needs and help our partners reimagine the way forward,” Teri Hansen, president and CEO of Barancik Foundation, says in the release. “Matt has a wealth of genius, and his deeply-rooted connections in the region will help us expand our work.” 

Sauer spent 28 years at the Sarasota Herald-Tribune, eventually overseeing 20 newsrooms and 400 journalists in Florida as regional editor for the newspaper’s parent company, Gannett, the release states. 

“This is a dream job, as much as running my hometown newspaper for the last four years,” Sauer says. “During my time at the Herald-Tribune, I was immersed in our relationships with philanthropic organizations and focused on our award-winning journalism in the areas of education, the environment, the arts, and social wellness – all touchstones of Barancik Foundation – so it goes without saying that I think this is serendipitous.”