Bradenton Area EDC names interim CEO

A new leader has taken the helm of the Bradenton Area Economic Development Corp. Amanda Parrish has been named interim CEO, overseeing the nonprofit organization while it searches for its next chief executive officer.

Parrish is the COO for Lakewood Ranch-based Fawley Bryant Architecture, where she is also a partner. She has been with the firm for nearly 10 years; in 2019, Parrish was among the Business Observer’s 40 Under 40 winners. At Fawley Bryant, she has helped lead the firm through two ownership transitions, according to a statement.

Parrish steps into the role of interim CEO at the EDC following the retirement of Sharon Hillstrom, who held the title since 2011. Hillstrom retired effective Dec. 31, and Parrish was appointed Jan. 16.

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“This interim period is about stability, transparency and positioning the EDC for long-term success as we work toward its next chapter of leadership,” Parrish says in a statement. “My immediate focus is on supporting and engaging our team, strengthening relationships with investors and community partners and ensuring operational continuity.”

Parrish has a master's degree from Jacksonville University in organizational leadership as well as leadership experience in the nonprofit world. In addition to serving on the Bradenton EDC board, she has been on the boards of the Lakewood Ranch Business Alliance and YMCA Lakewood Ranch. In 2021, she was the chair of LWRBA’s board during that organization’s CEO transition, helping to guide the alliance through an executive exit, search and onboarding while preserving confidence and continuity, according to a statement.

The EDC's board, meanwhile, has enlisted St. Pete-based executive search firm Winner Partners in its quest to find a permanent CEO. The firm has extensive experience recruiting chief executives for economic development organizations and other nonprofits, according to a statement.

“During this time, the EDC remains committed to its mission of recruiting and retaining high-wage jobs to all 10 communities within Manatee County,” Bradenton EDC Board Chair Chris Cianfaglione says in a statement, “and providing the resources local companies need to expand and thrive.”

At the Bradenton EDC, Parrish enters amid a period of uncertainty. The retirement of Hillstrom came about three months after the Manatee County commissioners opted not to renew a contract with the EDC. The $337,000 contract expired Sept. 30, and represented about 30% of the organization’s $1.13 million budget for the fiscal year, the Business Observer previously reported.