Our Leadership

Steve Barancik is a former screenwriter and schoolteacher. With a strong interest in the environment, and a specific interest in how our agricultural footprint impacts the planet, he and his wife, fellow board member Lisa Hise, are striving to responsibly maximize food production—for themselves and others—on a four-acre property in the Pacific Northwest. They completed together a one-year certificate program in Regenerative Organic Farming.

A graduate of Duke University with a B.A. in Economics, Steve believes strongly in the "Teach a man* to fish" approach to philanthropy and as such is a big fan of non-profits like Habitat for Humanity, Year Up, and The United Negro College Fund.

*Women and children too!

Ben Hanan is a senior partner at Shumaker Loop where his principal areas of practice include business and estate planning. He is a Certified Public Accountant whose education includes J.D., with highest honors, George Washington University, 1996; M.P.A., The University of Texas at Austin, 1993; and B.B.A., The University of Texas at Austin, 1991.

Mr. Hanan's community affiliations include being former board chair of All Faiths Food Bank, former board chair of the Sarasota County Economic Development Corporation, board chair of Bradenton Area Economic Development Corporation, former board chair of Gulf Coast Community Foundation, and founding director of IMG Academies Student-Athlete Foundation.

He and his wife, Stacy, have three adult daughters.

A native of Richmond, Va., Stephanie has worked in corporate recruiting for over 20 years. She is currently Director of Talent Acquisition for Stout, a global advisory firm specializing in corporate finance, accounting and transaction advisory, valuation, financial disputes, claims, and investigations. Stephanie has been in the Southwest Florida region since 2019, living in Venice with her husband Gene, who serves as President and CEO of the YMCA of Southwest Florida. They have two adult children who live in Virginia. An amateur flutist and lover of the arts, Stephanie also serves on the board of trustees of the Hermitage Artist Retreat.

Marlon is Director of Government Affairs at the Greater Sarasota Chamber of Commerce, where he provides leadership and guidance on public policies that affect the community’s business sector. Previously, he served as City Manager of the City of Sarasota from 2021 to 2024 and as Deputy City Manager for 12 years prior to that. There, his leadership drove progress in affordable housing, public safety, infrastructure, and arts and culture.

Marlon has also served in administrative leadership roles for the City of Tallahassee, Gadsden County, and Leon County in Florida. He holds numerous certifications in public administration and memberships in professional, public, and civic entities.

Early on, Deb was mostly satisfied with her employment in administrative areas of finance and education in public schools and technical colleges; in a U.S.D.A. agency’s conservation/ environmental protection program; in assistance to senior executive management of a Fortune 500 company.

Then, over 37 years ago, Deb came onboard with Charles Barancik and entered the fascinating world of the streamlined Barancik organization of privately-held companies and of entrepreneurship. She has never looked back from this welcome, diverse environment!

In 2014, again rewarding work evolved with the activation of the Charles and Margery Barancik Foundation. Deb’s early years set the desire to help others whenever possible. As a Board Director, she is honored to be a part of the Foundation as it works to help those in need and to fulfill its mission to make a difference in Sarasota and beyond.

After a 35-year career with Sarasota County Schools, Laura Kingsley retired from her position as assistant superintendent and chief academic officer in 2021. She began her career with the district in 1986 as a teacher at Booker Elementary School for High Expectations, which later became a part of Emma E. Booker Elementary. She also served as an assistant principal at Emma E. Booker and Laurel Nokomis and as principal at Fruitville Elementary.

Dr. John E. Brothers became President/CEO of Charles & Margery Barancik Foundation on December 1, 2025. He brings decades of diverse experience in philanthropic leadership and nonprofit management to his role. John also is regarded as a pioneer in the area of trust-based philanthropy.

“I am deeply inspired by Barancik Foundation’s commitment to trusting and empowering local communities, because that is where lasting change starts,” he said at the time of his selection. He is the second person to serve in the President/CEO role in the Foundation’s history.

Prior to joining Barancik Foundation, John most recently served as President of T. Rowe Price Foundation and T. Rowe Price Charitable, where he led the firm’s philanthropic giving, community affairs, investment practices, and philanthropic services business. From 2015 to 2025, John grew assets from $125 million to more than $750 million, and he developed a pioneering global model for corporate social good. John also oversaw an extensive list of impactful, place-based initiatives in communities where T. Rowe Price Foundation works, including Baltimore’s Elevation Awards, One Book Baltimore, Baltimore Children and Youth Fund, food-security initiatives, a resource-navigation platform for artists, and a State of the Sector Report on the nonprofit landscape, to name just a few.

Prior to T. Rowe Price, John was the founder and managing partner of Quidoo, an international consulting firm that provided leadership and management capacity-building services to philanthropy, nonprofits, and government agencies. He also served as a Senior Fellow in Executive Leadership at the Support Center for Nonprofit Management, a Visiting Fellow at Harvard University’s Hauser Center for Nonprofit Organizations, and a management and social policy professor at New York University and Rutgers University. John began his career as a case manager and youth worker in neighborhoods in the Midwest, essential experience that continues to guide and inform his work and leadership.

John has written for numerous publications, including Stanford Social Innovation Review (SSIR) and Nonprofit Quarterly, and he has authored several books. His work has been featured widely in publications such as SSIR and Harvard Social Impact Review. He also has spoken nationally and around the world on nonprofit and philanthropic effectiveness.

Learn more about John and his work:

Hosana Fieber is the former CEO of Tervis, a national drinkware company. Prior to being named CEO in 2023, she held other positions within the company including chief operating officer and chief financial officer. With a strong background in finance and accounting, Hosana worked in public accounting before her career with Tervis, her latest experience at Dixon-Hughes in Charlotte, N.C. Hosana currently serves as a board member for Marie Selby Botanical Gardens in addition to Barancik Foundation.

Lisa Hise spent 23 years as a public defender in southern Arizona. Phoenix-born, Lisa received her undergraduate degree from Arizona State University and her law degree from the University of Arizona, where she was one of the first recipients of the Paul Marcus Public Interest Fellowship. Since retiring from the law, she has worked with middle schoolers as a literacy coach and has been an animal rehab volunteer and raptor rescuer at the Tucson Wildlife Center. Lisa has also served on the board of directors of the Southwest Center for Law and Policy since its inception in 2002.

Married to Steve Barancik, Lisa is motivated by a concern for the environment, a love for wildlife (as well as her chickens!) and a desire to improve our coexistence with the planet.

Jeffrey McCurdy is an independent private investment advisor with broad experience in all aspects of investment management.

He is the founding principal of Guardsman Private Capital Management, a boutique SEC-registered investment advisory firm in Sarasota that is focused on the needs of high-net-worth families and nonprofits. McCurdy graduated from the University of Pennsylvania and then served in the U.S. Army, reaching the rank of Captain. He later earned his Master of Business Administration from Duke University’s Fuqua School of Business.

In addition to his service to Barancik Foundation, McCurdy serves on the investment committees of the Community Foundation of Sarasota County and the William G. and Marie Selby Foundation.