Pee-wee Herman Michael Rey, abstract painter Charles Edward Ringling, one of the Ringling Brothers Stephen Root, actor, voice actor, and comedian Milton Rubenfeld (1919–2004), pilot and one of five founding pilots of Israeli Air Force Randy Savage (1952–2011), professional wrestler Sam Shields, cornerback in the National Football League George Snyder, Maryland state senator and majority leader Dick Smothers, actor, comedian, composer, and musician Jerry Springer, television personality Alex Steinweiss, graphic artist, credited with being the inventor of album cover art. Mildred Ladner Thompson, journalist and writer Dick Vitale, college basketball coach and broadcaster Adrienne Vittadini, fashion designer Joseph Volpe, general manager of the Metropolitan Opera Nik Wallenda, tightrope walker Iain Webb, Director of The Sarasota Ballet and former dancer with The Royal Ballet Scott Weiss, venture capitalist Hoyt Wilhelm, MLB pitcher and Baseball Hall of Fame inductee George Howard Williams, U.S Senator from Missouri Robert Windom, former Assistant Secretary for Health and Human Services under President Ronald Reagan Linda Winikow, politician and New York State Senator Roger Zare, composer and pianist Bridgett Zehr, ballet dancer with the English National Ballet Sister cities The U.S. sister city program began in 1956 when President Dwight D. Eisenhower proposed a people-to-people, citizen diplomacy initiative. The Sarasota chapter was established in 1963. A sister city, county, or state relationship is a broad-based, long-term partnership between two communities in two countries. A relationship is officially recognized after the highest elected or appointed official from both communities sign off on an agreement to become sister cities. Sarasota's sister cities are: Perpignan, Pyrénées-Orientales, France (1994) Vladimir, Vladimir Oblast, Russia (1994) Tel Mond, Central District, Israel (1999) Dunfermline, Fife, Scotland, UK (2001) Siming District, Xiamen, Fujian, China (2007) Mérida, Yucatán, México (2010) Friendship cities Rapperswil-Jona, Kanton St. Gallen, Switzerland (2017) Busseto, Emilia-Romagna, Italy (2020) See also Newtown Sarasota Police Department References External links Cities in Florida Cities in Sarasota County, Florida County seats in Florida Sarasota metropolitan area Populated coastal places in Florida on the Gulf of Mexico