The Florida Orchestra today announced that Susana Weymouth, chief development officer, will retire this season, leaving a lasting legacy as a champion of the arts who has significantly impacted the organization and the Tampa Bay cultural landscape.
Since joining in December 2020, Weymouth helped drive major fundraising growth for the state’s largest professional orchestra. She contributed revenue more than doubled during her tenure, bolstered by major gifts that strengthened the orchestra’s endowment. Most notably, those efforts culminated in a historic $10 million donation — the largest single gift in the orchestra’s 58-year history.
Weymouth also expanded partnerships with corporations and foundations, particularly through concert series sponsorships. She deepened engagement with donors through musician and concert sponsorships while broadening support for education and community programs that serve tens of thousands across Tampa Bay.
“Susana has been an incredibly dedicated colleague and partner,” said President and CEO Ignacio Barrón Viela. “Her passion, care for our donors and belief in music have built momentum that will endure well into the future.”
Music Director Michael Francis praised Weymouth’s leadership, noting her ability to inspire “joyful giving” and strengthen connections between patrons and the orchestra’s mission.
Weymouth will relocate to be closer to family in Savannah, Georgia, but will remain in an advisory role. The orchestra 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,” Weymouth said, recalling a childhood in Washington, D.C., where early exposure to museums and symphonies shaped her lifelong commitment.
Over a career spanning more than four decades, Weymouth worked in major cultural centers including New York; Beijing, China; Paris, France; London, England; and Miami. She moved to the Tampa Bay area in 2001 with her husband, Yann Weymouth, a renowned architect whose work includes projects at the National Gallery of Art and the Louvre.
Before joining the orchestra, Weymouth served as executive director of Tampa Bay Businesses for Culture and the Arts, where she helped strengthen connections between the arts and business communities.
Reflecting on her time with The Florida Orchestra, Weymouth expressed gratitude for colleagues, patrons and donors.
“Because of them, this orchestra continues to thrive,” she said. “I’m confident the momentum we’ve built will inspire our community for generations to come.”