The Saunders Blog

It Takes a Village

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“Game changing” was the phrase used most often to mark the announcement that The Jackson Laboratory had chosen Sarasota County for its Florida headquarters. It was certainly that; and probably a whole lot more we’ve yet to fathom.

Easier to fathom is the victorious strategy that helped wrest this coveted prize from Hillsborough County—which, until the eleventh hour, had been the presumed winner. In an amazing show of unity, clarity and purpose, a joint team representing Sarasota County’s medical, academic, philanthropic and governmental communities stepped-up and made one thing perfectly clear to the decision makers from Jackson Labs: Sarasota County is the only market with the combination of assets your mission needs to unfold successfully. Not only because we have the clinical facilities and patient population you need, but also because all facets of our close-knit community are completely united in wanting you here.

This strategy translated into one of the biggest economic wins for Sarasota County since John Ringling and Bertha Palmer long ago chose to conduct their various business enterprises here. Its triumph will inject major economic diversity into our region; while the unique combination of community assets and talent that attracted this clean, biotech company to our market can be used again and again to appeal to similar companies in search of the same supportive environment.

The Jackson Laboratory is an independent, not-for-profit organization whose scientific mission is to advance human health. Their focus is to unlock each individual’s genetic code in order to more effectively diagnose, treat—and potentially ward-off—such insidious diseases as Alzheimer’s, diabetes and heart disease.

That Sarasota County’s has the patient population necessary to allow Jackson to advance its treatments from the labs to their bedsides—and ultimately to their homes—wasn’t enough on its own merit to sway their decision in our favor. It was the quality, efficiency and reach of our community’s health care delivery system—as epitomized by Sarasota Memorial Health Care System—combined with our community’s longstanding affiliation with Jackson’s research partner, the University of South Florida, that made the biggest difference. Also in the mix, the Gulf Coast Community Foundation demonstrated Sarasota County’s philanthropic prowess by pledging to help raise private funding for the biomedical village that will sprout up around the new facility.

In formally announcing that Sarasota County had won their decision, Charles Hewett, Ph.D., executive vice president and chief operating officer of The Jackson Laboratory, heaped extraordinary praise on our community. “This is a win-win for the entire region,” he said before a phalanx of cameras. “The pieces just fit together better here and we are absolutely thrilled with the reception we’ve gotten. Yours is an extremely welcoming community and it’s very exciting to think of becoming part of it.”

Joining Dr. Hewitt on the dais as he addressed an overflow crowd of reporters and dignitaries were Teri A. Hansen, president of the Gulf Coast Community Foundation, Gwen MacKenzie, CEO of Sarasota Memorial Health Care System, Dr. Judy Genshaft, president of USF; and Commissioner Carolyn Mason, representing Sarasota County. Watching the proceedings unfold, it wasn’t lost on this observer that we can also take tremendous pride in the number of women who occupy positions of utmost authority in our community’s philanthropic, medical, academic and governing bodies.

The heavy lifting isn’t over yet. For the project to come to full fruition the governor and a majority of Sarasota County voters have to approve state and local funding in exchange for the promise of thousands of high-paying jobs and the hundreds of millions in revenue that have been calculated over time to accompany Jackson’s decision to move here.

The saying goes that it takes a village to raise a child. With The Jackson Laboratory as the newest addition to our Gulf Coast “village” we commend and congratulate the team of local leaders—headed by Ms. Hansen—that brought them this far. Now it’s up to Governor Scott and the rest of us to finish the job.