Welcome, Aaron James: An Interview with St. Mary’s New Foundation Regional Director
October 9, 2022
By: Mark Ralston
Categories: Colleague Stories
My goal is to work closely with our donors, volunteers, partners and neighbors to carry on our mission.
Aaron, can you tell us a little about yourself and your role with St. Mary’s?
I am humbled and honored to be named the next Regional Director of the St. Mary’s Health Care System Foundation. Our Foundation provides a way for generous members of our communities to support our healing mission through individual and corporate philanthropy. We also liaise with the Auxiliaries at all three of our hospitals to facilitate their volunteer service and fundraising. We owe a tremendous amount of gratitude to my predecessor, Ansley Martin, for her steadfast leadership and always optimistic presence throughout the COVID-19 pandemic. Ansley’s commitment to our Ministry will continue to shine with her work as our Major Gifts Officer for the Foundation.
Can you tell us about your professional background?
Professionally, I’m coming to St. Mary’s with more than 20 years of experience in philanthropy, almost all of it here in Georgia. Most recently, I served as vice president of philanthropy for the Rheumatology Research Foundation in Atlanta. Before that, I served in leadership philanthropic positions with Growing Leaders, East Lake Foundation, the Georgia Aquarium and Mount Vernon School. I’m also very proud of the work I did as a consultant with Soccer in the Streets and the Captain Planet Foundation, along with service on the Atlanta Sports Council and the University of Georgia Board of Visitors.
It sounds like, in addition to philanthropy, you have a lot of interest in sports.
Yes. I earned my bachelor’s degree in psychology from San Diego State University and then went on to get my master’s degree in sports psychology, also at San Diego State. While I was there, I played soccer and was a 4-year Letterman and a 2-time team captain, and then served as a graduate assistant coach before moving on to be an assistant coach with Colorado State’s Pueblo campus, the University of Evansville, and Drake University. So you might say I love soccer!
What led you into philanthropy?
As with most philanthropic professionals, we discover philanthropy accidentally. In my case, my journey began in admissions/recruitment at a New England boarding school in Maine, introducing me to the twin revenue-generating activities of a school: tuition revenue and fundraising revenue. These two offices interplay so much that it was a natural transition into philanthropy because of the intense active listening skills, attention to detail, and building opportunities at the bullseye of opportunity and missional alignment. I also enjoy helping people discover where they positively impact others’ lives and those with a motivation towards generosity. It is fulfilling to see them light up when they discover how their investment changes the trajectory and future for those less fortunate.
What inspires you about serving at St. Mary’s?
In a word, St. Mary’s Mission. As an experienced nonprofit leader and someone who has worked with communities suffering from health disparities and inequality firsthand, I am excited to serve and carry out the St. Mary’s mission in our collective communities. What inspires me the most about our mission is our focus on those less fortunate and without access to quality health care. From our no-cost mammogram program to Employee Emergency Relief Support, we stand ready to serve the needs of our entire St. Mary’s family.
How does your previous work experience align with your role at St. Mary’s?
Most recently, my work concentrated on providing funding to build a strong talent pipeline in the field of rheumatology to ensure the workforce is ready for the demand and need of those battling chronic and acute auto-immune diseases. Similarly, we now find ourselves at a critical crossroads as a care provider with our frontline professionals exhausted and running on empty from the relentless onslaught of COVID-19 while addressing other chronic and acute health conditions for our patients. I know our community is resilient, and with strong advocates from the community by our side, we can make a difference and help those in need find medical care and refuge while demonstrating empathy and compassion along the way.
What is your top goal for the Foundation?
My goal is to work closely with our donors, volunteers, partners and neighbors to carry on our mission and expand our impact so that no one feels hopeless and without support in their time of medical need. I look forward to regularly sharing stories of impact made possible through our donors’ generosity and commitment to our Ministry.
How can people in the community who want to get involved contact you?
I welcome the opportunity to meet with community members who would like to support our healing ministry. Please feel free to connect with me at aaron.james@stmarysathens.org or (706) 389-3926.
Thank you for doing this interview! Do you have a closing message you would like to share?
Yes. I want to thank our partners, donors and volunteers for joining me and the rest of the St. Mary’s Health Care Foundation team in ensuring that the communities served by Sacred Heart, Good Samaritan, and St. Mary’s hospitals know they have advocates on their side. I look forward to working with you!