Carlos Beruff named to second term as Sarasota Manatee airport board chairman

Beruff named to second term as airport chairman

MANATEE -- With veteran commissioners becoming a rare breed on the Sarasota Manatee Airport Authority, the body has elected one of its longest-serving members, Carlos Beruff, as its chairman.

Beruff, an appointed airport commissioner since 2008, now takes his second year-long turn with the gavel. He previously chaired the body in 2012. The airport authority is the public body that operates and manages the Sarasota-Bradenton International Airport.

Five of the authority's six members were present during the body's regular November meeting Monday to elect officers for 2016. Also elected to board office was John Stafford as vice president, and Peter Wish, the outgoing board chair, as secretary. All officer votes were unanimous.

The chairmanship alternates annually between Manatee and Sarasota county commissioners. Beruff lives in Parrish.

Wish said he was pleased to have Beruff succeed him.

"I feel very good about leaving it in Mr. Beruff's hands," he said.

Three members of the commission, Ann Moore and Robert Spencer of Manatee County and Doug Holder of Sarasota County, have been appointed by Gov. Rick Scott to the board this year.

Once in possession of the gavel, Beruff led the authority board through a meeting that lasted just 26 minutes. Longtime airport staff said the meeting was the briefest the board has ever held.

Beruff, who is the owner and president of Medallion Home in Bradenton, is currently the member of two other public boards. He was appointed to the State College of Florida board of trustees in 2008 by then-Gov. Charlie Crist, and again in 2012 by Gov. Scott. He was appointed in May to Scott's newly formed Commission on Healthcare and Hospital Funding.

Beruff resigned his position as a board member with the Southwest Florida Water Management District in September. In August, he told members of the SCF board of trustees that he is "inclined to lighten" his public responsibilities. His term on that board ends next May.

Matt M. Johnson, Herald business reporter, can be reached at 941-745-7027 or on Twitter@MattAtBradenton.

This story was originally published November 16, 2015 at 4:48 PM with the headline "Carlos Beruff named to second term as Sarasota Manatee airport board chairman."