WINTER 2025

A HEART FOR GIVING

For nearly two decades, Jim and Jody Alexander have been a part of the Venice community. Initially splitting time between Florida and Illinois, they made Venice their primary home about a decade ago after Jim retired from a successful career. Jim built Jamco Products, a thriving Midwestern manufacturing company specializing in industrial carts, cabinets and workbenches. After selling the business, the couple traded snow for sunshine, spending about nine months a year in Florida, enough to call it home.

But it wasn’t just the sunny weather that kept the Alexanders here. It was Sarasota Memorial Hospital. “When I had a problem and needed hospital care, I told them to take me to Sarasota Memorial,” Jim says. That choice proved life-changing when he experienced a heart blockage years ago. Thanks to the care of SMH cardiologist Dr. David Schreibman, Jim recovered quickly, returning to his first love—playing softball, a sport he’s enjoyed for over 50 years. Golf followed as a close second, and now he’s found a new passion: pickleball. “Having top-level medical attention made a big difference in my quality of life, that’s for sure,” he adds.

Jim’s deep appreciation for healthcare excellence, shaped by decades of personal and family experiences, is the driving force behind his philanthropy. From broken bones to a severed finger to lifesaving cancer treatments, his family has faced its share of health challenges across three generations. “We’ve used a lot of healthcare resources,” Jim explains. “Giving back helps balance the ledger.”

That sense of gratitude led Jim and Jody to make a significant gift to support the new Sarasota Memorial Hospital-Venice campus before it opened in 2021. As the first community donors, their initial contribution helped bring essential care closer to Venice residents. By stepping forward as donors, the couple’s generosity helped set the stage for others to follow, ensuring the hospital’s success from its earliest days. Their first gift named the Emergency Care Center waiting area. It’s a fitting tribute, given Jim’s personal connection to that type of urgent medical care.

“I spent a lot of time in emergency rooms,” Jim admits. His first wife lost a long battle with leukemia, and his son endured years of cancer treatment as well. More recently, Jim’s grandson, just 3 years old, has been fighting brain cancer, undergoing specialized treatments across the country. Through it all, Jim witnessed firsthand the importance of exceptional care.

Today, SMH-Venice continues to grow in response to the community’s needs, with expansions completed late last year. The Alexanders remain committed to supporting that growth. Their contributions have since grown to support SMH-Venice’s recently expanded Emergency Care Center—now named the Alexander-Domenick Emergency Care Center, as well as the Critical Care waiting area in honor of their family.

“Philanthropy is about ensuring others have access to the care they need,” Jim says. “Sarasota Memorial is vital to this community, and we hope our support inspires others to give back,” adds Jody.

For Jim, the impact of their gifts isn’t just about buildings or plaques—it’s about people. It’s about the doctors, nurses and staff who show up every day to care for others. And it’s about making sure the next patient who walks through those hospital doors has the same chance at hope and recovery.

As Sarasota Memorial Hospital-Venice continues to expand, the Alexanders’ generosity stands as a reminder of the difference one person or family can make. Jim says, “There are few causes more worthwhile than advancing healthcare. This new hospital is a tremendous service to our community.”

And for this family, there’s no greater satisfaction than knowing they’re helping build a healthier future, one gift at a time.

Learn more about SMH-Venice.