James R. Woods

James R. Woods

James “Jim” Woods is retired from the Bon Secours Venice Hospital Foundation where he served as president. Formerly, he was the Campus Executive Officer of Manatee Community College Venice Campus, Dean of Academic Affairs for Hillsborough Community College and is a past member of the Venice City Council. He holds a Bachelor’s of Arts from Muskingum College, a Masters from Chapman University and a Ph.D. from George Peabody College for Teachers of Vanderbilt University. He currently is a member of the Sunshine District (State of Florida) Barbershop Harmony Board of Directors and has served on numerous boards of non-profit organizations, chambers of commerce, and county-wide task forces.
 
Jim has served on both Venice and North Port Chambers of Commerce Boards of Directors and his nonprofit involvement has included organizations such as Coastal Behavioral Healthcare, United Way, Rotary, Tidewell Hospice, Rotary Futures, SCOPE (Sarasota Openly Plans for Excellence), Economic Development Corporation of Sarasota County, projects for the Gulf Coast Community Foundation and Selby Foundation and Leadership Sarasota County. 

Jim is an active member of the Venice-Nokomis Rotary Club where he serves as Chair of the Teacher of the Year program, is a Paul Harris Fellow and was awarded the “Doc” Matson Community Service Award for 2008-2009. Jim has been a Director of Caldwell Trust Company since 2005 and serves on the Audit and Trust Committees. 

The Story of How Jim Became a Board Member of Caldwell Trust Company 
Jim effectively expanded the Manatee Community College of Venice, in large part due to his involvement with the community. Some of that involvement included going through heart by-pass surgery and being the “poster boy” for the Bon Secours Venice Hospital’s heart surgery center. 

Shortly before Bon Secours announced the sale of the hospital, Jim was hired by Bon Secours Venice Hospital in 2004. While the sale was closing in early 2005, Jim’s wife suffered a subdural hematoma, which required brain surgery and extended rehab time. The hospital sale was finalized in March 2005 and Jim retired to care for his wife. One week later Jack Meyerhoff (a founder of Caldwell Trust Company) took Jim to lunch at Bogey’s and asked him to kindly consider joining the Caldwell Trust Board of Directors. Jim’s appointment had already been approved by the Caldwell family, who just happened to be sitting at a nearby table at Bogey’s to anxiously welcome Jim to the Board. “Having been a client of Caldwell Trust Company and because of my extensive community contacts, they felt I had some value to add to their Board. I was very pleased to be asked to join the Board. I consider the people of the Caldwell Trust Company to be a part of my extended family, “says Jim.