CEO of Bradenton EDC announces retirement

Longtime area economic development leader Sharon Hillstrom is retiring as president and CEO of the Bradenton Area EDC, effective Dec. 31. 

The organization made the announcement Friday morning, saying “Sharon’s outstanding leadership skills and strategic thinking have been a major factor in the organization’s success.” In the statement, signed by board chairman Chris Cianfaglione and Immediate Past Chairman Andy Stultz, the organization says its “executive committee will follow a board-approved succession plan to identify her successor.” (Stulz officially handed over the chair role to Cianfaglione at the EDC’s Annual Update Luncheon held Thursday.)

Hillstrom has been with the organization since 2007, when it was called the Manatee Economic Development Council. She started as the events/organizational development manager, became associate director, then interim director. She was named CEO in 2011.

Photo by Nancy Guth

“As I look back on my time with the Bradenton Area EDC, I am proud of what we’ve accomplished together. With the support of our private investors, public partners, dedicated collaborators and the guidance of our board of directors, our team helped build a strong and credible brand for the Bradenton area as a place where businesses can thrive,” Hillstrom says in the release. “The impact of this work will continue to benefit local companies and families for years to come.”

“As I step into new adventures and enjoy more time with my family, I carry with me the relationships and experiences that shaped my EDC journey,” she adds. “I wish the organization and its leadership every success in the years ahead.”

The retirement announcement comes as the EDC is amid a funding and contract dispute with Manatee County commissioners. In September, the commissioners, in a 4-3 vote, opted to not renew a $337,000 contract with the EDC, with one elected official questioning if the county even needs an EDC and equating the organization to lobbyists doing sweetheart deals. That equated to cutting about 26% of the EDC’s budget and dented the relationship, at least publicly, between two key partners when recruiting and retaining business in Manatee County. 

During that meeting, and later in an email to the Business Observer, Hillstrom disagreed with that sentiment that the EDC was like a lobbying firm or had low value. “We are a nonprofit organization focused on diversifying Manatee County’s economy by attracting and retaining high-wage jobs for area residents and connecting established businesses to the resources they need to position for success," she wrote, in part, to the Business Observer. 

About two weeks after that meeting, the EDC set up a task force of board members with the goal of reapplying for a contract with the EDC under the same terms. The previous contract, which expired Sept. 30, was $1.61 million over five years.