FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
July 12, 2022
Pinellas Education Foundation Announces New Officers
Tash Elwyn, Raymond James President and CEO to Lead Board
Largo, Fla. – The Pinellas Education Foundation is proud to announce that Raymond James & Associates President and CEO Tash Elwyn became Chair of the Foundation’s Board of Directors, effective July 1, 2022. As chair, Elwyn will lead a board of more than 30 corporate and community leaders who work closely with Foundation CEO Stacy Baier, Ph.D., and her team of professional staff. Elwyn has served on the Foundation Board for almost seven years, and was named Vice Chair in 2020. He succeeds Charles M. Harris, shareholder and litigator at Trenam Law.
“It has been an honor and a pleasure to work with our Board, and we value the leadership provided by Charley and Tash,” said Baier. “Both have demonstrated time and again their commitment to our mission to accelerate educational achievement for all students. As we look toward our next chapter, we are grateful to Tash for his willingness to continue to lead, his ability to inspire others, and his ongoing dedication to ensuring that Pinellas County Schools students succeed.”
“The Pinellas Education Foundation and its mission are perfectly aligned with my own passions,” Elwyn said. “Among the things I value most about the Foundation are its student scholarship programs and opportunities to support teachers’ innovation in the classroom through programs like Fund a Classroom.”
Elwyn began his career at Raymond James in 1993 as a financial advisor trainee, having first discovered his love of finance on Wall Street. After building a successful practice, he became an assistant branch manager in Atlanta and subsequently a branch manager in Chattanooga. Today, he supports the financial advisors in Raymond James’ Private Client Group.
Elwyn moved with his wife Emily and two children to St. Petersburg 17 years ago, and accepted the presidency at Raymond James & Associates in 2018. He says he had heard a great deal about the Pinellas Education Foundation through the involvement of Tom James, now Chairman Emeritus of the company and a former chair of the Pinellas Education Foundation. Prior to becoming Chair, Elwyn served as a member of the Executive Committee and is an inaugural member of the Foundation’s Equity Taskforce created in 2020.
In addition to his work with the Pinellas Education Foundation, Elwyn is active locally as the director for the Metro Tampa Bay Board of the American Heart Association and as a member of the University of South Florida Corporate Mentor Program.
“What gets me out of bed in the morning is the opportunity we have to make a difference in people’s lives,” Elwyn said. “The Pinellas Education Foundation is committed to accelerating students’ success and for some students, that scholarship or mentor makes the difference in the trajectory of their lives, changing outcomes for their families forever.”
Elwyn is joined on the Board of Directors by officers Robert Byelick (Partner, Abbey, Adams, Byelick & Mueller LLP) as Vice Chair; Pierre Caramazza (Head of Financial Institutions Group – U.S. and Head of ETF Distribution, Franklin Templeton Investments) as Treasurer; and Susan Johnson (General Counsel, Echelon Development LCC) as Secretary.
Editor’s Note: Tash Elwyn’s headshot is available for download here.
About the Pinellas Education Foundation:
The Pinellas Education Foundation is a dynamic, nationally recognized non-profit organization that leads the way in advancing public education and student achievement. It is committed to equity—a belief that every student deserves a high-quality education. The Foundation’s mission is to accelerate educational achievement for all students through the effective mobilization of innovation, relationships, and resources. Its vision is that every student will be prepared for life after high school, whether the choice is to attend college, enter the workforce or obtain technical training. Learn more about the Pinellas Education Foundation at www.pinellaseducation.org.
###