Mark Pritchett leads the daily work of Gulf Coast Community Foundation with over $300 million in assets and annual grant and initiative expenditures approaching $30 million. Mark was named president and CEO of Gulf Coast in September 2015 after serving seven years as Senior Vice President of the foundation’s major initiatives and community leadership efforts. Mark has held statewide leadership positions in business advocacy, economic development, and public policy. He served for 13 years as executive vice president of a statewide public policy research and consulting nonprofit. Mark was appointed by Governor Jeb Bush to direct the election reform task force after the contentious 2000 Presidential election. He also held vice president positions at Enterprise Florida and the Florida Chamber of Commerce. Mark earned his bachelor and master’s degrees from the University of Kentucky, and his PhD in higher education from Florida State University. Mark is a graduate of Leadership Florida Class XXIII and currently serves on the boards of The Florida Chamber Foundation, Greater Sarasota Chamber of Commerce, the Economic Development Commission of Sarasota County, and Gulf Coast Strategic Investments. Mark is the proud father of two adult children. When Mark is not working, he loves hiking in the Colorado Rockies, cycling in Canada and Europe, listening to jazz, sipping Kentucky bourbon, and watching UK basketball.