2016 WLP Fall Symposium Program

10:30 a.m. - 11:30 a.m. CONCURRENT SESSIONS
How to Know When to Leave
Esplanade
Most of us have done it—stayed in a job, a marriage, or a volunteer leadership role so long we started getting
complacent, or worse. Then there’s the reverse problem—leaving too early and ending up with something that
isn’t what we hoped for. Knowing when to leave is a tricky business. We often hear, “Before you jump out of
one boat, you’d better make sure the other one floats.” Sometimes opportunities seem like a great fit at first,
but when you start spotting leaks, you’re already standing on deck with the water pooling swiftly around your
ankles. This panel will share their stories and help you to identify key signs to look for so you know when a move
you’re considering is the right one to make at the right time.
Holly Tomlin
Tomlin St Cyr Real Estate Services, Principal
MODERATOR
Tomlin Staffing and Tomlin Talent Solutions was founded in 1985 in Tampa by Holly Tomlin, a leader
with a combined experience of over 37 years in the human resource industry. Holly recently sold her
employment agency of over 30 years, and she, her husband John and daughter Ali have launched
a real estate brokerage – Tomlin St Cyr Real Estate Services in the south Tampa. A business
graduate of Baldwin-Wallace College with a business degree, she began her career at Standard Oil in
Cleveland, Ohio, where she worked for seven years in human resources. An active member of WLP,
Holly holds the distinction of being elected the first woman President of Tampa’s first Rotary Club
(founded in 1917), the Rotary Club of Tampa, and has served in numerous other leadership capacities
for a variety of organizations, including the Greater Tampa Chamber of Commerce, the
Sherloq (previously the Merchant Association), the Tampa General Hospital Foundation Board,
the Crisis Center of Tampa Bay Women’s Leadership Council, Junior League of Tampa Community
Advisory Board, the Monsour USF Executive Wellness Center Charter Advisory Board, and as a board
member of the AvMed Business Advisory Group. Holly has been honored with numerous awards,
including the Tampa Bay Business Journal Business Woman of Year award in 2006 and the Greater
Tampa Chamber of Commerce’s Leader of Year Award in 2007.
Emily Benham
CEO, Nonprofit Leadership Center
Emily Benham has more than 30 years of experience in the nonprofit field. Before taking on the role
of CEO of the Nonprofit Leadership Center of Tampa Bay in 2014, Emily was the interim president for
Bayfront HERO (Health, Education and Research Organization), a health legacy foundation formed
in 2013 with the net proceeds of the sale of Bayfront Medical Center to a for profit entity. Prior to
the sale, she was a member of Bayfront Medical Center’s senior leadership team, and directed its
philanthropic arm, Bayfront Health Foundation, for more than 20 years, raising millions of dollars for
capital improvements for the hospital. Bayfront Health Foundation’s signature event “Bayfront on
Vine” and the record breaking “Extreme Team Challenge” employee campaign became well-known
nationally throughout the industry as Benham was asked to present frequently on these “best of
breed” fundraisers. In 2008 she achieved the Association of Health Care Philanthropy’s highest level
of certification, FAHP. Prior to her work in healthcare philanthropy, Benham led fund development
efforts at the Florida Orchestra, American Stage, and the Coconut Grove Playhouse in Miami.
Early in her career, following a fellowship in orchestra management, she was the executive director
of the Evansville (IN) Philharmonic and the South Dakota Symphony. She is a native of Reading,
Pennsylvania and received her B.A. in music from Amherst College in Amherst, Massachusetts. She
is married to James Connors, principal cellist of The Florida Orchestra. They are proud parents of
a 17 year old son, Joshua, who attends Brooks DeBartolo Collegiate High. Benham is also an avid
equestrian and competes regionally in dressage with her equine partner, Current Affair.
32 #USFWLP • 11 TH ANNUAL WLP FALL SYMPOSIUM