BPC names its first full-time chief executive

Olmsted-designed parks and 850 acres.

Lafley said Crockatt is coming on board at a critical juncture, the BPC having opened the first phase of the park along Boulevard of the Arts and embarking on design for the second phase of the project, the Canal District surrounding the public boat launch at 10th Street and North Tamiami Trail.

Operating a not-for-profit conservancy tasked with building and managing a multifaceted public park requires full-time, salaried leadership. For the first time since its 2018 founding, the Bay Park Conservancy has filled that position, naming a veteran public park developer and operator as president and CEO.

Last week, the BPC announced Stephanie Crockatt will succeed Founding CEO AG Lafley, who has volunteered in that capacity.

In partnership with the city of Sarasota, the BPC is designing and developing The Bay on 53 acres of city-owned land on Sarasota Bay into a signature park. It is also responsible for operating, maintaining and programming the park as it opens to the public.

“It’s exciting to think of what’s to come and the fact that they’ve really got their master plan in place,” Crockatt said. “It’s exciting to think about and to be able to build the organization that is going to sustain this vision and its mission. It’s just an honor. It’s a great opportunity.”

Beginning late May or early June, Crockatt will assume overall responsibility for building out The Bay. She is a veteran park conservancy leader with development and fundraising experience as executive director of Buffalo Olmsted Parks Conservancy in Buffalo, New York, the first nonprofit organization in the U.S. to manage and operate an entire urban park system consisting of six

“Without going through the whole list of what Stephanie’s capable of doing and has already done more than once, she’s going save us a ton of money,” Lafley said. “Frankly, we couldn’t get up the learning curve fast enough to catch up with what we’re trying to do. It just wouldn’t be possible, and that’s why we’re bringing her in.”

In addition to building a professional staff to operate The Bay, Crockatt will spearhead funding to support ongoing operations, maintenance, programming and endowment, building on the partnership with the city and relationships with the county, foundations and philanthropists, business partners and friends of The Bay.

As Lafley steps down, Crockatt will report to BPC Board Chairperson Jennifer Compton and work closely with the executive committee. Advantageous to her role, she said, is the groundwork that has already been laid by a group of volunteers with little background in creating and operating a conservancy.

The BPC was formed as a notfor-profit organization to implement the master plan for The Bay, which was approved by the Sarasota City Commission. The BPC entered a long-term partnership with the city to help fund, develop, operate, maintain and program the park for the benefit of the community.

The first 14-acre phase of The Bay opened in October 2022. Planning for Phase 2 at the Canal District will begin in May. The completed park will cost an estimated $175 million-$200 million and will take approximately eight to 10 years to complete over four or more phases.