Academy Members Honored

Academy Members George Baxter (left), and Jim Sweeny receive public honors.

Eckerd Alumnus, Jim Sweeny and his brother John, have been awarded the William H Kadel Alumni Medal in recognition of their career achievements. 

Jim, an active member of the Academy, graduated from Eckerd College in 1965 with a B.S. in Chemistry and went on to study at Yale University where he was awarded a Ph.D. in Organic Chemistry.

Jim joined the Coca-Cola Company in Atlanta and had a long and distinguished career in the Research and Development division working on food colors, additives and emulsifiers.  

After leaving Coca-Cola, Jim and his wife, Martha, returned to Florida in 2002 and joined the Academy. 

Jim has led the Science & Society interest group and is co-chair of the Academy's Arts Council. Martha is active in the Academy arts program and is an accomplished artist and painter. They are avid art collectors and recently donated their collection of folk art to the St Petersburg Museum of Fine arts.

Academy member George Baxter was recently recognized for his community service with induction into the Tampa Bay Business Forum ''Hall of Fame''.

George Baxter, native New Yorker, Dartmouth College graduate, CPA, and former PriceWaterhouseCoopers executive, moved to Tampa in 1971 with his wife Debbie and began their 40 years of community service.

George and Debbie became aware of failed attempts to start a Tampa Bay community program to involve businesses with the local community and were founder members of the ''Community Foundation of Tampa Bay''. As President, George brought his professional skills and operating standards, in the commercial world, to the not for profit world and was joined by Debbie as Director of Grants. 

Under their stewardship, the Foundation received over $145 million in contributions, which has grown, to in excess of $100 million today. Those monies have touched every segment of the Tampa Bay community, from migrant worker's children in Hillsborough, to retirees in Pascoe County.  

George also founded the ''Community Foundation of Lakeland'' and similarly guided that organization in raising in excess of $40 million. George has also served as trustee and officer of several other support organizations in the Tampa Bay area including: The Florida Chamber of Commerce and The Florida Orchestra.