Carl L. Weinrich
President and Chief Executive Officer

Sarasota Family YMCA
One South School Avenue
Suite 301
Sarasota, FL 34237

Florida

Sarasota, Manatee, DeSoto, Pasco, and Pinellas Counties boast at its helm one of the nation's most influential players in the field of child welfare - Carl L. Weinrich. As the founder of the community-based care initiative in Florida, Mr. Weinrich, the ultimate visionary, is the driving force in motivating and organizing community agencies to come together as a coalition to care for Florida's most needy children. He has forged the framework for a coalition that currently involves more than 75 agencies: all experts in their service delivery areas.

This visionary holds the respect of his entire staff, as well as that of the community's citizens and project stakeholders. Community-based corporations came to the table to form a partnership that enhances the lives of the community's children. Community coalition members give $10,000 per year for three years in cash or in-kind goods and materials to support one of Florida's group homes and also encourage hands-on involvement on the part of their employees. Local individuals bring their talents and strengths together in the form of stakeholders committees, recognizing responsibility for the children and families in their own communities. These committees of concerned community leaders provide ongoing oversight, support, advocacy, and advice to the community-based care project.

Heading a nonprofit corporation of 1,000 employees and a budget in excess of $83 million, Mr. Weinrich provides the spark behind the development of the state-of-the-art YMCA Health enhancement facilities and social service programs, rivaling any other in the country and many around the world. He now prepares to celebrate his 30th year with the Sarasota Family YMCA in April 2005.

Mr. Weinrich recounts the early struggles of his runaway teen daughter, now a successful business woman. He identifies this experience as the influence that led him to a focus and commitment to serving troubled, needy children and to his subsequent work developing prevention programs for abuse and neglect and for establishing prevention as a core concept for all staff and service areas.

Carl Weinrich, President and Chief Executive Officer of the Sarasota Family YMCA, Inc. challenges all of us to provide an environment in which children can develop spirit, mind, and body and learn the core values of caring, responsibility, honesty, and respect in order to be fully prepared for a future as productive community citizens.