FALL 2019

Robert (Bob) Wood, who grew up in London, OH and attended the University of Michigan, spent 27 years at Dow Chemical, starting in sales and advancing to Business Group President. After his long career at Dow, Bob became chairman and CEO of Chemtura Corporation and today is a partner in the McChrystal Group, a leadership and business improvement consultancy.

Bob’s wife, Angelia, born in Newark, OH, and raised in Atlanta, came from a family immersed in the medical profession. Her father, who was a paraplegic, was a physician. Angelia was a nurse during the early years of the couple’s marriage. The Woods began their married life in Cincinnati, later moving to Cleveland, Midland, Mich., Indianapolis and Roxbury, Conn. They have three children, two sons, and a daughter who recently went back to school to become a nurse–much to the delight of her mother.

As Bob and Angelia were approaching retirement, friends from Sarasota kept telling them about this beautiful city on the Gulf Coast. One weekend visit was all the convincing it took. “We have been enjoying our time here ever since.” Angelia said.

Establishing an ideal life in Sarasota included philanthropy which has always been of the utmost importance to both Bob and Angelia. “I contribute where I believe I can make the most difference,” Bob said. As they became more and more involved in their new community, both Bob and Angelia found themselves drawn to Sarasota Memorial Hospital (SMH) and Sarasota Memorial Healthcare Foundation.

For Angelia, the connection to the hospital and the Healthcare Foundation grew out of two things: her family’s involvement in medicine, and the creation of Newtown Internal Medicine. The clinic opened just over two years ago with support from the Healthcare Foundation. “We think it is critical to have quality medical care in what has historically been a grossly underserved area,” Bob said. “If there are no [neighborhood] facilities, the emergency room becomes the caregiver for that community, a much more expensive and less effective source of service.”

For the Woods, philanthropy isn’t just about writing a check, it’s about becoming fully immersed in the mission and helping however they can. Today, Bob serves on the Board of Trustees for SMHF and, for the second year, Angelia will be one of the co-chairs for the Women & Medicine Educational Luncheon.

“I am proud to be part of the Healthcare Foundation. Through our work, we’re helping Sarasota Memorial Hospital be the best that it can possibly be.”