Maribeth Phillips

President & CEO

Maribeth is the President & Chief Executive Officer of Meals on Wheels Plus of Manatee and has been in her position since November of 2012. Meals on Wheels PLUS of Manatee includes numerous health and human services programs in our county, such as Home-delivered Meals, The Food Bank of Manatee, Daybreak Adult Day Center, and Friendship Dining Centers. Reporting to the Board of Directors, Maribeth oversees program operations housed in two separate locations in Manatee County, several funding sources, donor relations, marketing/PR, and manages over 50 staff. For every dollar donated, $0.94 goes back into the programs. Under Maribeth’s leadership, Meals on Wheels PLUS of Manatee was named the 2019, 2020, and 2021 Best Non-Profit Organization in Manatee County by the Herald Tribune Readers’ Choice poll. In addition, in 2019 and 2021 our signature fundraising event, Tropical Nights, was also recognized as the Best Fundraising Event in Manatee County by the Herald Tribune Readers’ Choice poll and received Runner-up in the same category in 2020. In 2021, Meals on Wheels PLUS was named Best NonProfit by the Bradenton Herald, and received a Bronze designation from the Best of SRQ Award by Sarasota Magazine. In 2013, Meals on Wheels PLUS of Manatee was awarded Non-Profit of the Year by the Tampa Bay Business Journal.

During Maribeth’s tenure, Meals on Wheels PLUS of Manatee has gained significant visibility in the community through local and regional media outlets while also expanding the organization’s broad reach to feed those in need in Manatee County.

Prior to joining Meals on Wheels PLUS, Maribeth’s career was centered on human resources leadership. She was the Vice President of Human Resources for a number of large companies both up North and here in Florida, including: Philips Medical Systems, Diageo North America, Gevity (now Trinet), and Phoenix Ink. Maribeth also secured a real estate license and worked as a Sales Associate for Neal Communities after moving to Florida.

Recently, Maribeth served on the Board of Directors for the Lakewood Ranch Business Alliance as Chair of the Executive Academy Committee and was the Past Board Chair for Lakewood Ranch Community Activities. She has also remains an active member of the Gulf Coast CEO Forum and has held leadership positions within the organization.

After starting a small fundraising event in her home back in 2006 to give gifts to homebound seniors, Maribeth created the subsequent community-wide “shoebox collection,” which led to an invitation to join the Board of Directors in 2009, where she ultimately served as the Human Resources Chair, and briefly on the Executive Board as Secretary. In 2012, she resigned from the Board to apply for her current role.

Maribeth is originally from Connecticut and has lived in Lakewood Ranch for 20 years, where she raised her son and her daughter.