Kanika Tomalin - Class of 2027

She is the President and Chief Executive Officer of the Foundation for a Healthy St. Petersburg. Prior to joining the Foundation, she served as the Chief Operating Officer and Vice President for Strategy at Eckerd College and served eight years as Deputy Mayor and City Administrator of the City of St. Petersburg. She has also served as an executive with Bayfront Health System. She began her career at the St. Petersburg Times. 
Dr. Tomalin received a Journalism degree from Florida A&M University, an MBA from the University of Miami and a Doctorate in Law and Policy from Northeastern University. Her commitment to community is evident in her outreach and service-driven outcomes. She serves on the Boards of The Dali Museum; Academy Prep St. Petersburg; Bayfront Health Foundation; Celma Mastry Ovarian Cancer Foundation; and the Eckerd College National Advisory Council. Previous board and executive leadership positions include: American Heart Association; St. Petersburg Chamber of Commerce Board of Governors; Vice-Chair of the St. Petersburg College Institute for Strategic Policy Solutions; St. Petersburg Downtown Partnership; Bayfront Health, Education and Research Organization; Pinellas County Urban League; YWCA of Tampa Bay; Canterbury School of Florida; Great Explorations Children’s Museum; Pinellas Enrichment for Mental Health Services Advisory Board; USF St. Pete Celebrates! Host Committee; American Heart Association Go Red for Women Executive Cabinet and American Stage. She is a member of St. Thomas Episcopal Church. 
Dr. Tomalin was married for 17 years to well-known adventure journalist Terry Tomalin, until his passing in 2016. She is the fifth generation of her family to call St. Petersburg home and enjoys life here with her children Kai and Nia. Kai recently graduated from American University and is a graduate student at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago. Nia is a third-year History and Human Rights major at Barnard College of Columbia University in New York.