Manatee County commissioners unanimously approved a new contract with the Bradenton Area Economic Development Corp. at their meeting today. The decision came more than six months after commissioners opted not to renew the agency’s annual contract in September, citing concerns over transparency and return on investment.
Following a change in leadership at the EDC, commissioners authorized county staff to restart discussions with the agency in January. Longtime Bradenton EDC CEO Sharon Hillstrom retired in December, followed by the appointment of interim CEO Amanda Parrish, who is COO and partner in Fawley Bryant Architecture, in early 2026. An executive search firm working to find the EDC’s next leader is sifting through a pool of more than 40 candidates, Bradenton EDC Board Chair Chris Cianfaglione told commissioners.
“As you can imagine, it’s quite a process to go through all of those candidates,” Cianfaglione said, “but we are excited to continue to move through that and find someone in short order.”…