Robert P. Sullivan, president of Historic Bok Sanctuary, has announced his retirement as of May 2007. Sullivan is the fourth president of the institution, which was dedicated in 1929.

"Bob Sullivan has made a major contribution to Historic Bok Sanctuary during the 8 1/2 years he has served as president. He has built an excellent management team and overseen the Sanctuary's recovery from three devastating hurricanes. With 11 months of year-over-year attendance growth, he has helped reverse a trend of declining attendance which has affected many attractions and cultural venues," remarks Historic Bok Sanctuary's chairman of the board of directors A. Bronson Thayer of Tampa.

"The Sanctuary has new and innovative special events scheduled in 2007 that should continue the upward visitation trend. The Sanctuary and the entire Lake Wales community have benefited from Bob's energy and effectiveness over the past decade. We wish him and his wife Nancy very well as they head into retirement," Thayer Said

Sullivan's career has spanned more than 40 years in museum, science center, and historic garden administration. He has served professional associations at the national, regional and state levels and has been a grants reader for federal and state cultural agencies. Sullivan is a past president of the Lake Wales Area Chamber of Commerce and co-chair of Polk Vision's Private Sector Leadership Initiative.