New Sarasota EDC president grapples with logistic challenges, celebrates wins

During three of her four-plus years with the Economic Development Corp. of Sarasota County, Erin Silk has worked under two interim executive directors who worked to transition it into the more responsive, results-oriented organization demanded by its primary benefactor, the Sarasota County Commission. She's learned a lot in that role. 

A fourth-generation Silk in Sarasota County, she recalls her grandfather saying the Silks arrived here on horse and buggy. The Maryland native, who began her career in the Baltimore area, followed the family footsteps here in 2015, when she became CEO of Venice Main Street. She joined the EDC in 2019.

In June, the EDC board officially chose Silk as president and CEO, succeeding Lisa Krouse, who held the role on an interim basis for 18 months. Silk takes over at a crucial time, with the county commission demanding greater communication and more measurables to justify the more than $1 million per year in funding it provides.