Your Values. Your Vision. Your voice
The mission of the Sarasota County Democratic Party is to encourage the fullest participation by all voters who believe in true freedom and fairness in our society. We stand up for justice, equality, and opportunity for our citizens and support qualified candidates who will promote these goals.
The officers of our County Democratic Executive Committee (DEC) are dedicated to promoting Democratic values, engaging voters, and supporting local campaigns.
Chair David Dean leads the DEC, represents the Party publicly, and guides its strategic direction, while the Vice Chair assists the Chair and oversees key initiatives. The Secretary manages records, meeting minutes, and correspondence, and the Treasurer handles financial operations, fundraising, and compliance. Together, our Officer board ensures a strong and organized presence for Democrats in Sarasota County.
David Dean
Chair
Elected to Party Chair in March 2025. He holds a BA and MS in Chemistry from Amherst College and Yale University. He volunteered with the Peace Corps Zaire, Africa as a science teacher. Recently retired David worked for over 30 years at a Fortune 100 Life Sciences Corp. as a Research Association and Scientific Applications Developer.
David was elected to the Sarasota Democratic Party Officer's Board as Secretary in December and then as Party Chair in March. Now fully retired from corporate work, David is enjoying applying his varied experience to the complex and rewarding work of helping the party to rebuild for success in the 2026 elections and beyond.
Mary Clupper
Vice Chair
Mary moved to Sarasota from Boston 20 years ago and works in the hospitality industry, providing in-room appliances to major hotel brands like Marriott and Hilton.
Inspired by Barack Obama’s 2008 presidential campaign, Mary began dedicating her time to the Democratic Party. She joined the Democratic Club of Sarasota, became its President in 2010, and served for 10 years, raising awareness, organizing events, and fundraising for organizations like Streets of Paradise and Truly Valued.
Mary has served on the City of Sarasota Human Relations Board and served eight years as State Committeewoman for the Sarasota County Democratic Party. She has played a key role in reforming the Florida Democratic Party’s voting structure and was an elected Delegate to the 2024 Democratic National Convention in Chicago.
JoAnne DeVries
Treasurer
JoAnne has served the local SCDP party in various capacities over the years.
Her journey began as the Club Membership Chair. Since then, she has held several leadership roles, including Precinct Organization Chair, Club Vice President, State Committeewoman, and Chair of the Party for six years starting in 2016.
As Chair, JoAnne focused on increasing voter turnout, mobilizing volunteers, and enhancing civic engagement across the county. She also fostered partnerships and collaboration with our clubs and caucuses to ensure a multi-layered impact in our community.
Barbara Fittipaldi
Secretary
Barbara moved from New Jersey to Sarasota in 2015, though Florida had been part of her life long before that through childhood visits to her grandparents in Clearwater and Naples. What began as family trips eventually became home. She is married, the mother of two daughters, and a proud grandmother of four.
She holds a BS in Chemistry and Mathematics and later taught courses in management and leadership at Rutgers University. Barbara went on to found the consulting firm Center for New Futures, where she focused on leadership and communication consulting.
She worked with the campaigns of Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton and later served on staff with the Florida Democratic Party for the campaign of Kamala Harris. Her focus now is strengthening the SCDP infrastructure and grassroots power we need to win in 2026 and beyond.