The Bay Park Conservancy Welcomes New Chief Financial Officer to Leadership Team

Steve Germaine will oversee financial strategy, management and execution for The Bay Park.

The Bay Park Conservancy (BPC), the non-profit organization responsible for designing, developing, managing and operating 53 acres of City-owned land along Sarasota Bay into an iconic public park, has added Steve Germaine to its leadership team as its first full-time Chief Financial Officer.

As CFO, Steve will initially report to Founding CEO AG Lafley, then to new President and CEO Stephanie Crockatt when she joins The Bay Park Conservancy in June 2023. He will also work closely with the Finance Committee and Board Treasurer, Rob Lane on all matters financial. Additionally, he will partner with Chief Operating Officer Bill Waddill on development and implementation, Derick Kitson on park management and maintenance, Amber Lamerson on development and fundraising, Diana Shaheen on park programming and communications, and with The Bay Park Conservancy partners, such as Stutler Enterprises.

“At the Bay Park Conservancy, we know sustainable park development, operations and programming are underpinned by strong accounting, financial systems and controls,” says Founding CEO AG Lafley. “Steve is a seasoned accounting and financial manager with more than 20 years of experience as the financial head of a major for-profit business and with significant non-profit experience. He is well qualified to lead, manage and deliver the breadth and depth of financial management, accounting, and reporting that The Bay Park Conservancy will need as it continues to expand and grow.”

Steve is a well-rounded finance and accounting executive who has the ability to integrate organizational goals and strategies with operating budgets resulting in world-class execution. For the past 20 years he has served as Controller and then VP Finance/CFO of the largest division of Timex Corporation. His prior financial experience was with both large and midsize publicly and privately held companies in various manufacturing sectors. He also has served as the Treasurer for various non-profit organizations throughout his life which have supported children, college athletics, church and community.

“I’m excited about elevating the finance function of The Bay Park Conservancy to its highest level so it can meet the evolving and growing needs of its internal team, its network of external partners, and importantly, the park guests and supportive donors of The Bay,” says Germaine.

Tony Gamelin, BPC current CFO, will be working with Germaine and Lafley to ensure an orderly transition over the next few months.

The Bay recently announced the hiring of its first full-time, fully-experienced and highly-qualified CEO Stephanie Crockatt, currently Executive Director at the Buffalo Olmsted Park Conservancy, celebrated “It’s Good to be Green” month and National Take a Walk in the Park Day at The Bay, welcomed its 150,000th park guest, and is preparing to begin the design and development of Phase 2 in a few months – the next 14 acres of new public park to be designed and built over the next four years at a capital cost of $65 million.