Sarasota Memorial Healthcare Foundation Appoints 8 New Members

SARASOTA, Fla. – (Nov. 20, 2017) — Sarasota Memorial Healthcare Foundation, Inc., (SMHF) recently announced its board of trustees for 2017-2018.

“We are delighted to welcome this very talented group of individuals to the Healthcare Foundation Board of Trustees,” says Jim Syprett, chairman. “They will be instrumental in helping us to carry out the mission of the Healthcare Foundation to ensure world-class healthcare throughout our community.”

Robert G. Bartner returns to the board after a one-year hiatus in which he served on several committees. Mr. Bartner was a trustee from 2010 – 2016. He and his wife, Beverly, were named SMHF Doctors of Philanthropy in 2011. He had a 40-year career in direct marketing and magazine publishing before pursing his passion of producing theater productions in is a theater producer in London and New York.

John H. DeJongh has been active on the Healthcare Foundation’s Development & Marketing Committee since 2016. In 2013, he and his wife, Alida, were honored as Doctors of Philanthropy. Mr. DeJongh had a long career in merchandising and procurement management with Montgomery Ward in Chicago, before retiring from Federal Express in 1999.

Sixth-generation Floridian, Mary Evelyn Guyton joins the Healthcare Foundation Board of Trustees after having served on the board of trustees for Historic Spanish Point for seven years. She also was a director on the board of the Bon Secours Hospital Foundation from 1999 – 2002. Ms. Guyton, has worked for Michael Saunders & Company from 1998 – 2004, returning to the company in 2007.

Robert P. (Bob) Martin comes to the Healthcare Foundation with an extensive background in product development, marketing and sales strategy. He is the fifth-generation owner of the Boar’s Head Brand and currently serves as the Chief Operating Officer (COO) of the premium food company, headquartered in Sarasota.

Former Sarasota County Public Hospital Board member Alexandra (Alex) Miller has lived in Sarasota since 1995. She has served as the CEO of Mercedes Medical, a national laboratory products distribution company in north Sarasota County, since 2003. Ms. Miller was elected to Sarasota County Public Hospital board in 2012 where she chaired different committees. In 2016, she was elected to the Florida House of Representatives for District 72, representing most of central Sarasota County and Siesta Key.

Jonathan E. Mitchell was founder and president of an NYSE-listed real estate company and prior to that, president of a subsidiary of an AMEX-listed financial services enterprise and board member of the parent company. He has served as a board member on the UCLA Foundation, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center and many other international, national, and local organizations including the American Red Cross, Goodwill Industries, and the Salvation Army. Mr. Mitchell was a senior National Officer, board member and committee chair of the American-Israel Public Affairs Committee and is a life member of the board of governors of the Technion –Israel Institution of Technology.

Pharmaceutical executive, Michael J. Valentino and his wife Karen have been donors since 2012 and were honored in 2013 as Doctors of Philanthropy. Mike’s extensive General Management experience includes serving as CEO for Novartis Nutrition Corp, President of Pharmacia & Upjohn N.A. and CEO for Adams Respiratory Therapeutics, makers of Mucinex, where he was an Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year award winner.

Robert Lee Wood joins the Healthcare Foundation with an extensive background in the chemical and specialty chemical industries. He has been a lead director for Praxair, Inc. since 2013 and an independent director for Univar, Inc. 2016. Mr. Wood served on the U.S. Olympic Committee Board of Directors (215) and was chairman of the U.S. Gymnastics Foundation Board in 2009. He is past-chairman of Big Brothers & Big Sisters of America.

The eight new trustees join the current board: Jim D. Syprett, Chair; Arthur M. Wood, Immediate Past Chair; William E. Chapman, Vice-Chair, Louis E. Levy, Treasurer; Charles Shivery, Secretary; Philip A. Delaney, Jr. Executive Member-at-Large; William A. Stanford, Member-at-Large; Kirk G. Voelker, MD, Member-at-Large; Ariane M. Dart; Richard J. Gerrity; Richard S. Johnson; Deborah Kabinoff; Laurence R. Saslaw: C. Reed Savidge; R.L. “Bibb” Swain; James A. Taylor and Margaret Wise.

About Sarasota Memorial Healthcare Foundation, Inc. Sarasota Memorial Healthcare Foundation, Inc. is an independent charitable organization working with Sarasota Memorial Healthcare System and others to improve the delivery of world-class healthcare throughout our community. Since 1976, the Foundation has provided support for patient care, research, education, state-of-the-art medical technology and facilities. For more information visit smhf.org