Kathy Baylis, EDC founding president, Dies

Posted by Jacob Ogles on Monday Feb 16, 2015 2:28 pm

Kathy Baylis, founding executive director of the Economic Development Corporation of Sarasota County, has died following a years-long battle with cancer. She was 67. Baylis ushered the creation of the economic development agency, retiring in 2010 to address her health concerns. In in years since, she had continued in consulting capacity with a number of organizations, including The Patterson Foundation, which confirmed her death. 

Baylis worked on EDC issues before there was an EDC, working at The Greater Sarasota Chamber of Commerce as vice president of economic development. Between 1999 and 2004, she worked with business leaders, notably the late John Cox, to help establish an independent entity to address the recruitment of new businesses and assist in the expansion of existing ones.

During a lengthy interview about the history of the EDC, she told SRQ Magazine that the idea was at first controversial, but grew in momentum. “We started getting people who hadn’t worked together before. It was very rewarding and everyone was excited about it.” In 2004, she helped oversee the creation of the first strategic plan for the EDC, a documented which she also helped update in a comprehensive process in 2009. Along the way, she proved instrumental in the establishment of an incentives program through Sarasota County, including a successful campaign for the passage of a property tax to fund incentives.

During her time with the EDC, the agency attracted such companies as Boar’s Head while assisting companies like Tervis and PGT with facilities expansion in the region.

Filed under Passing

Tags:   Economic Development Corporation of Sarasota County  featured  Kathy Baylis  RIP

Comments (0 so far)

Tags