About The Stage

At Payne Park

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The Stage Team

Brian McCarthy

Founder & CEO, The Stage at Payne Park

Brian brings 50 years of commercial real estate development experience to this important project. He is also the Founder & CEO of The Pickleball Club and the Play for Life Foundation. A member of The Sarasota Players Board of Directors, Brian served 30 years in the United Staes Navy and retired at the rank of rear admiral.

Michael Ayres

Executive Director, The Stage at Payne Park

Michael is a well-known development professional in the Sarasota-Manatee region with 20 years experience in fundraising and non-profit management. He worked on several multi-million-dollar capital campaigns at USF Sarasota-Manatee and served as the Corporate Development Officer at the esteemed Sarasota Opera.

William ( Bill ) Porter

Chair, Board of Directors, The Sarasota Players

In addition to serving as the Board Chair of The Sarasota Players, Bill is a senior international management executive with four decades of experience in leading, developing, and recruiting management talent. His firm, Porter Consulting Services (PCS), has helped recruit individuals for businesses worldwide in most industry sectors. For over 40 years, Bill has been an active member of Rotary International, most recently past president of the Rotary Club of Lakewood Ranch.

William Skaggs

CEO, The Sarasota Players

William Skaggs joined The Sarasota Players as CEO in September 2020, bringing extensive experience in philanthropy, operations, and financial services in higher education, performing arts, and private sector contexts. A graduate of WKU with a BA in Music and an MBA, William embraces a broad view of the value of the arts to a community via entertainment, education, and economic impacts.