Erik J. Arroyo is the former Mayor of the City of Sarasota. He practices law focusing on business, corporate, and estate planning, with a concentration on private family foundations. Born in the Dominican Republic and raised by a single mother, Erik came to the United States as a teenager to attend Riverview High School, where he met his wife. From having no indoor air conditioning or warm running water to being the first in his family to graduate high school, Erik feels truly blessed to be living the American Dream.
Erik’s business practice includes counseling business owners on entity formation, funding, capital, and organizational structures, mergers, joint ventures, divestitures, acquisitions, and equity-owner agreements. Whether he assists a start-up venture, an established family foundation, or a corporation that employs hundreds, Erik’s enterprising approach to his practice of law offers his clients keen insights into the governance, legal, and business issues.
Erik’s experience working with individuals and families in his estate planning practice involves executing strategies to assist clients in mitigating taxes, preserving wealth, protecting assets, transferring wealth to their heirs, beneficiaries, or charitable causes, and serving as an independent trustee and fiduciary for trusts and private foundations.
Due to his extensive experience, Erik is a diversely skilled, award-winning executive leader and counsel offering years of experience in strategic planning, policy and budget development, and operational leadership for high profile trusts, corporations, businesses, private foundations, and not-for-profit organizations. Adept at facilitating growth by developing various levels within an organization by building cohesive teams. He can collaborate effectively with senior management to align defined objectives and achieve mission-critical results. With his advanced training in board governance, he frequently gives presentations on various topics such as leadership development, optimization strategies, and corporate management for growing organizations. His ability to drive cross-functional collaboration and facilitate a harmonious team environment conducive to organizational efficiencies and overall metric improvements has enabled him to give back to this community he holds very dear. Erik and his wife Victoria, a history teacher at Sarasota High School, have two children, Ava & Max and plan to reside locally for the rest of their lives.
Current & Past Professional Memberships and Community Involvement
• Mayor, City of Sarasota
• City Commissioner & Vice Mayor, City of Sarasota
• Economic Development Corporation of Sarasota, Board Member
• Suncoast Partnership to End Homelessness, Board Member
• Metropolitan Planning Organization, Board Member
• BBVA Bank, Advisory Board Member (2019-2021)
• Sarasota Sheriff Advisory Board
• Gulf Coast Community Foundation
• Board Institute Graduate
• Sarasota Community Foundation
• Scholarship Committee (and former recipient)
• Sarasota YMCA, Board Member (Former – largest nonprofit charity in Sarasota, I assisted with the transition into the Safe Children’s Coalition)
• Big Brothers Big Sisters of Sarasota, Board Member and Big Brother (2019-2021)
• University of Florida Alumni Association of Sarasota (Sarasota Gator Club), President (2015-2020)
• Sarasota Bar Association, Member (2016-Present)
• Diversity Committee Member
• Young Lawyers Division
• Sarasota Chamber of Commerce, Member (Former)
• Young Professionals Group, Member (Former)
• Business Network International, Member (Former)
• Teen Court of Sarasota, Presiding Judge (2006-Present)
• InStride Therapy, Former Board Member (Former)
• Phi Alpha Delta, Law Fraternity International, Member (Current)
• American Association for Justice of Orlando, Former President (Former)
• Boys and Girls Club of South Lake County Foundation, Former Board Member
• Boys and Girls Club of Sarasota Foundation, Former Board Member
• Community Foundation of Lake County, Former Committee Member
