ST. PETERSBURG, FL – The Florida Orchestra today announced that Chief Development Officer Susana Weymouth will retire this season. She leaves a remarkable legacy as a lifelong champion of the arts – impacting The Florida Orchestra, Tampa Bay’s cultural landscape and beyond. Since joining TFO in December 2020, Weymouth has helped drive significant fundraising momentum for the largest professional orchestra in the state. Contributed revenue has more than doubled during her tenure, alongside major gifts that have strengthened the orchestra’s endowment. Most recently, those efforts culminated in a historic $10 million gift, the largest single donation ever made to the orchestra at one time in its 58-year history. Weymouth also expanded TFO’s partnerships with corporations and foundations, especially as title sponsors of concert series. She deepened engagement with patrons and donors through sponsorships of musicians, guest artists and individual concerts, while broadening support for education and community programs that serve tens of thousands of students and residents across Tampa Bay. “Susana has been an incredibly dedicated colleague and partner,” said TFO President & CEO Ignacio Barrón Viela. “Her passion for this orchestra, her care for our donors and community, and her belief in the power of music have built unstoppable momentum and strengthened this organization in ways that will endure well into the future.” “Susana has been an extraordinary champion of The Florida Orchestra,” said Music Director Michael Francis. “She believes deeply in our vision, and in the vital role our extraordinary musicians play within Tampa Bay. Susana’s inspired leadership has always centered on encouraging joyful giving, both in helping people see the beauty of what happens onstage and in what it takes to sustain the orchestra offstage. Her impact will continue to resonate through the terrific team she developed, and in the music we share with our community for many years to come. Thank you for making such a positive difference to TFO, Susana!" Weymouth will transition from the bay area to be closer to a family home in Savannah, Georgia, but will remain in an advisory capacity to the orchestra. As TFO looks ahead to the next chapter of development work, it has engaged Aspen Leadership Group to conduct a national search for a Vice President of Development. “For me, supporting the arts has always been a passion project,” Weymouth said. “I grew up in Washington, D.C., where my parents often took me to museums and the symphony, and they instilled in me a deep sense of responsibility to help the arts thrive. I’ve carried that with me wherever I’ve lived around the world.” In a career spanning more than four decades, Weymouth lived and worked in cultural capitals including Washington, D.C., New York, Beijing, Paris, London and Miami. She relocated to the Tampa Bay area in 2001 with her husband, Yann Weymouth, renowned chief design architect for I.M. Pei of the East Wing, National Gallery of Art in D.C. and the Grand Louvre and Pyramid in Paris. Locally, he designed the Hazel Hough Wing and Conservatory of the Museum of Fine Arts, The Dali Museum and The James Museum. Weymouth’s commitment to the arts community in Tampa Bay has been deep and lasting. Before joining TFO, she served six years as executive director of Tampa Bay Businesses for Culture and the Arts (TBBCA), where she cultivated the arts-culture-business ecosystem. There she created the Leadership Excellence in Arts + Development (LEA+D) internship program to introduce students to careers in arts administration and development — an initiative she later continued at the orchestra. For Weymouth, the work has always been rooted in a deeper purpose. Her philosophy of fundraising has centered on connecting people to the artistic excellence onstage – 70 full-time professional musicians and conductors, led by internationally acclaimed Music Director Michael Francis. “We’re here to highlight the excellence onstage and let that inspire joyful giving,” Weymouth said. “Philanthropy begins by listening to our patrons and donors and helping them connect their own goals with the orchestra’s mission. Supporting this orchestra means investing in a cultural treasure that serves our greater Tampa Bay residents and visitors with high quality music and education programs year-round.” Reflecting on her time with the orchestra and its future, Weymouth expressed gratitude for the people who make its work possible. “I’ve been privileged to work alongside colleagues who bring such incredible dedication and artistry to their craft every day, and I’m deeply grateful for the relationships I’ve enjoyed with our extraordinary patrons and donors,” Weymouth said. “Because of them, this orchestra continues to thrive. As The Florida Orchestra approaches its 60th anniversary in the 2027–28 season, I have complete confidence that the momentum we’ve built will continue to grow and inspire our community for generations to come.” | 