UNITED WAY SUNCOAST STRENGTHENS LEADERSHIP TEAM WITH KEY PROMOTIONS

United Way Suncoast recently completed a restructuring of its executive leadership team by redefining the roles of Bronwyn Beightol, Kari Goetz, and Ernest Hooper.
Beightol’s Chief Impact Officer duties will expand to include oversight of United Way Suncoast’s community impact work throughout its five-county footprint, including education, financial stability and support services.
“Bronwyn shares the organization’s vision for fostering impact that improves the lives of community members,” said United Way Suncoast CEO Jessica Muroff. “She recognizes that connecting with neighborhoods and giving people the freedom to rise is at the heart of United Way Suncoast’s mission.”
Now in her 15th year with United Way, Beightol took over the organization’s regional efforts in early learning and youth success earlier this year. Under her leadership, United Way Suncoast rebranded its regional early learning approach as United We Learn and amplified its commitment to quality childcare and literacy.
Beightol’s work has enhanced the organization’s, placing 22 funded paraprofessionals in classroom across the region. She and her team have strengthened boost United Way Suncoast’s Quality Childcare Initiative to include 45 schools in Hillsborough, Pinellas, Sarasota, Manatee and DeSoto counties. Many of the new advances involve replicating the initiatives Beightol helped craft in Manatee County, including the award-winning Big Plan and Campaign for Grade-Level Reading efforts.
Goetz now becomes the Chief Development and Marketing Officer for United Way Suncoast, adding marketing oversight to her development responsibilities. Since joining the organization in 2020, Goetz has elevated United Way Suncoast’s network of workplace campaigns, corporate partnerships, and individual donors. She has also internally reorganized the development department to help the nonprofit achieve new benchmarks.
The change aligns with Goetz’s 20-plus years of marketing leadership. She previously served as the Vice President of External Relations at the Florida Aquarium and the Director of Marketing at the Tampa International Airport.
“There is much synergy and opportunity in our resource development and marketing strategies,” Muroff said. “Kari will be able to seamlessly transition into providing strategic leadership for both departments.”
Hooper now takes on the role of Senior Vice President, Communications and will supervise the nonprofit’s marketing and communications team. He also joins United Way Suncoast’s executive team. He previously handled multiple managerial roles during his career at the Tampa Bay Times and has used his media acumen to increase the nonprofit’s brand awareness since joining United Way Suncoast in March of 2021.
“Ernest has made an incredible impact on our organization,” Muroff said. “I am thrilled to have his leadership at the helm of our communications and marketing efforts as well as having him join our executive leadership team.”
Hooper and Goetz will work in tandem to continue to meet the company’s marketing and communications goals.