NEWS RELEASE
Van Wezel Foundation
777 N Tamiami Trl
Sarasota, FL 34236
Contact: Monica Van Buskirk/ ErinGuzzo - 941-366-5578
VAN WEZEL FOUNDATION ELECTS NEW BOARD MEMBERS
Sarasota, FL – June 1, 2015…The Van Wezel Foundation announces the addition of six new members to its
Board of Directors. Joining the board are Maryann Armour, Herta Cuneo, Andrew Hall, Dave Maraman,
Elaine McClure and Joel Schleicher. In addition, Shaun Merriman who was formerly Treasurer has been
appointed to the position of Chairman of the Board replacing past chair Mike Martella. Ali Bahaj will
replace Shaun in the role of Treasurer.
“The Van Wezel Foundation is thrilled to add six new board members. With the depth of their experience
and business acumen they add strong support to the existing Board of Directors at the Van Wezel
Foundation” said Van Wezel Foundation President and CEO, Monica Van Buskirk.
Shaun Merriman, a 30-year banking veteran, is President and CEO of Gateway Bank. He opened the
bank in 2008 during the most adverse banking climate seen in Southwest Florida in decades. Under
Shaun’s leadership, Gateway successfully operates three banking centers, and due to outstanding
performance, the Bank has received numerous small business awards in the Sarasota and Bradenton
communities in addition to the highly coveted 5-Star rating by Bauer Financial! Prior to Gateway Bank,
Shaun served as Southwest Florida’s Regional President for AmSouth Bank in Sarasota where he oversaw
45 banking centers throughout the region. Shaun is active in the community and serves as a board member
for several organizations. Shaun has been a resident of the Sarasota area since 2000 and has been
involved with the Van Wezel Foundation board since January of 2009.
Ali Bahaj is a former CEO of Caterpillar Japan, Ltd. a joint venture with Mitsubishi Heavy Industries. During
his tenure, he negotiated a change in ownership structure from a 50-50 joint venture to a fully-owned
subsidiary in 2012. Prior to being CEO, he held other major positions within the company including VP of
Corporate Auditing, VP of Caterpillar Finance Corporation and Director of Business Development. Ali is
very active in the non-profit community and has served on several boards in Japan, Illinois and Florida and
has been involved with the Van Wezel Foundation since June of 2014.
Maryann Armour, formerly of Detroit, MI and South Bend, IN, now resides full time in Sarasota, FL with
her husband James Armour. She is an avid supporter of local community arts and education through
memberships and fundraising. Earning her B.A. from Mercy College of Detroit in 1965, the now former early
elementary, junior high, and adult basic education teacher understands the importance of children receiving
access to the performing arts—something that was scarce when she was an active educator.
Herta Cuneo, is originally from Munich Germany. Her parents relocated to Sarasota in 1950 to fulfill a
contract with the Ringling Brothers Circus where they would all spend months rehearsing and training
young animals for a new season to come. She later married a successful businessman who shared her
love for animals and the circus business. Herta retired from show business in the early 90’s and has kept
busy with various Charity Boards in Chicago including the legendary Stritch Dinner Gala and is a longtime
supporter of the Van Wezel Foundation.
Andrew Hall is the Regional Director of External Affairs for West Florida for AT&T which is comprised of
Hillsborough, Manatee, Pinellas, and Sarasota counties. This executive role includes responsibility for all
community affairs, sponsorships, grants, and government relations. He has worked for AT&T for over 18
years including departmental experience in network, workforce, sales, customer service quality, project,
and administrative management. Andrew is very active in the community and has served on several boards
throughout the Tampa Bay Region.
Dave Maraman is the Regional President, Business Banking for the Sunbelt Region for BMO Harris, which includes
both the Arizona and Florida markets. He has been involved in the banking industry since 1972 and has held various
executive positions in both Indiana and Florida. Dave is also very involved in the non-profit community and has
served on several boards in Indiana and Florida. He relocated to Florida in 2005 with his wife Brenda, who has cochaired the Van Wezel Foundation Gala for the past three years.
Elaine McClure is originally from Westwood, New Jersey, and relocated to Sarasota from Newtown,
Connecticut, in 2012. She is a former teacher and has always been an active member of her community.
Prior to living in Sarasota, she served several terms on multiple boards in Newtown, including the
Legislative Council, Board of Education, PTA Council, Children’s Hope Fund, and Land Preservation
Committee. Currently, she is a member of Christ Church on Longboat Key and serves on the Ecolint
American Foundation. She actively supports the Gulf Coast Community Foundation in addition to the Van
Wezel Foundation.
Joel Schleicher has over 30 years of Senior Executive Experience working with Private Equity backed firms,
principally in technology/telecom services. He was the Founder (2003), Chairman and CEO for Presidio, Inc.,(sold in
2011) the leading professional and managed services firm, at the forefront of Virtual/Data Center; Collaboration and
other advanced IT infrastructure solutions. Previously he served as President and COO for Nextel Communications
and Chairman. He has since started two new endeavors; Cyber Risk Management, LLC and MWB Investments,
LLC. He has served, internationally and domestically, on corporate Boards and worked with various non-profit
organizations.
Since 1987, the mission of the Van Wezel Foundation has been to enrich the lives of the members of the
Gulf Coast Community, with an emphasis on children, through the performing arts while supporting the
needs of the Van Wezel – the region’s premier performing arts hall. Please visit our website at
vwfoundation.org for more information.
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