“We want someone who understands THIS landscape and can hit the ground running!”
That was one of the key themes repeated during the months-long outreach series by the Foundation for a Healthy St. Petersburg in its search for a new chief executive. By the end of the process, 175 diverse community leaders weighed in on the essential qualities needed by the next leader of one of the largest race equity funders in Florida’s Tampa Bay region.
They got their wish when the Foundation board announced on Monday its selection of Dr. Kanika Jelks-Tomalin as President & CEO, following a four-month national search.
In more ways than one. Not only is Dr. Tomalin intimate with the broad network of local innovators and doers in the “race and health equity” spaces (the bread and butter of the Foundation’s investment strategies in years past).
She also happens to be one of the original architects of the Foundation, back in 2014, when the entity was created as a vehicle for a $150 million endowment born from the sale of Bayfront Hospital. She was then Vice President of Strategic Planning & Public Affairs for Bayfront Health Systems.
Wasting no time, Dr. Tomalin will assume her post in mid-June. Explaining the lens she brings to the work, she says “I look forward to leading the Foundation’s continued good work to create systems change that delivers a more equitable community for all our people. Health equity is a critical component to quality of life. It is defined and determined by racial equity. Our community is poised to implement great changes for both.”
Leaders she’s worked with previously applaud the news.
“Dr. Tomalin’s appointment is not only a win for St. Pete; it’s a win for the entire county,” said Dr. Cynthia Johnson, Director of Economic Development for Pinellas County. “Her unwavering commitment to equity, engagement, and economic development is a testament to her character and inclusive leadership.”
Former St. Pete Mayor Rick Kriseman said, “Having had the honor and pleasure of working with Dr. Tomalin for eight years, I have seen the passion and commitment she has for this community and know she will bring that same drive to this new position. Her leadership is needed more than ever as we find ourselves in a time where equity, diversity, and tolerance are more threatened than ever.”
Nikki Gaskin-Capehart worked with Dr. Tomalin during her tenure as Mayor Kriseman’s Urban Affairs Director. She says, “I was ecstatic to learn of the Foundation’s selection of Dr. Tomalin. I’m certain, after having worked so closely with her, that she is the perfect CEO to lead the Foundation at this important time, and exactly who our community needs in this critical role!”
Mayor Ken Welch also touched on the serendipity when asked for comment earlier today. “Dr. Kanika Tomalin is the right leader at the right time for the Foundation!,” he wrote. “Congratulations, Dr. Tomalin, on circling back to your Bayfront roots and sowing new seeds as the Foundation’s President and CEO. The City looks forward to continuing its work with your team with you at the helm!”
The Foundation’s Board Vice Chair, Rev. Kenny Irby, echoed his peers, saying “Dr. Kanika Tomalin is just the kind of transformative leader needed to take the Foundation to a new level of service in this county. I feel like she was created for this moment.”
In a press release by the Foundation, Board Chair Dr. Donna Petersen, was quoted as saying, “We are thrilled that Dr. Tomalin will lend her tremendous experience and expertise to lead this organization into its next chapter. Our community faces tremendous challenges but is also poised to seize opportunities. Dr. Tomalin’s deep commitment, long-standing relationships, and record of trajectory-shifting outcomes made her our clear choice.”
Dr. Tomalin currently serves as Eckerd College’s Chief Operating Officer and Vice President for Strategy, a role she’s held for the past year and a half. She previously served for eight years as Deputy Mayor of the City of St. Petersburg, including four years as City Administrator, during which she led and helped engineer back-to-back innovations in equity and economic development.
About Her Community Connections
Dr. Tomalin is the fifth-generation of her family to live in St. Petersburg. She graduated from Boca Ciega High School and earned a Bachelor of Science degree in broadcast journalism from Florida A&M University, an MBA from the University of Miami, and a Doctorate in law and policy from Northeastern University.
She is a member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc.; Academy Prep’s Board of Directors; St. Thomas Episcopal Church; the Dali Museum Board of Directors; Celma Mastry Ovarian Cancer Foundation Board; and the American Heart Association’s Women’s Leadership Society: Circle of Red. She is a member of the Woodson Museum of Florida First Ladies Society and its capital campaign committee. Dr. Tomalin was raised in St. Mark Missionary Baptist Church and maintains close ties to that congregation.
Her service has been honored by national organizations such as the ACLU and National Diversity Council. She has been named one of Florida’s Most Powerful & Influential Women; St. Petersburg’s Woman to Watch; and St. Petersburg Business Woman of the Year.
