WORDS & PICTURES: Gabrielle Versmessen
Being known as “Pillars of the Community” and a “true philanthropic power couple” by the Manatee Community Foundation isn’t anything to be taken lightly. Yet, Joe and Barbara Najmy have rightfully earned those titles. This Manatee County husband and wife duo have been active in giving back to our community for as long as they’ve been residents here.
Barbara and Joe were born in New York and moved to the Sarasota-Bradenton area when their fathers acquired different businesses. Joe’s father obtained an auto body shop in 1976. Barbara’s father acquired a gas station and auto body business about 50 years ago that later transformed into a general store gas station. Both hail from large families and met through their families, being a part of the same social events in the local area. Their close-knit familial upbringing is where they credit the source of their philanthropic values.
“That’s where the importance of working together and giving back and many other similar qualities come from,” Joe says.
“A lot of family values and traditions, and being the oldest of four, has a lot to do with the way I’ve approached philanthropy in the way of always helping and giving back to others,” Barbara says.
Being involved with philanthropic work has been a lifelong endeavor for Barbara and Joe. Thirty years ago, when Joe started his career in law, his colleagues were all philanthropic and “a part of the culture,” as he puts it.
“It wasn’t anything that we intentionally thought of ourselves. We just watched and followed what others before us had done. Philanthropy is a common theme, especially in personal service, practices, and professions. I was lucky enough to have an unbelievably supportive wife who supported not only my law practice but those things I did with volunteering and philanthropy. Barbara picked up the baton and ran with it better than I ever could have done.”
For Barbara, volunteering her time dates back to when she was in high school. She volunteered with a group of other high schoolers to be a summer camp counselor in Newtown, Sarasota. They would read to the kids, take them to the beach, or do game and pool days. Barbara says that giving back to the community in her adult years was just a natural given. Even with raising two kids and juggling a career, Barbara always had Joe’s support in her endeavors.
“It felt natural to be philanthropic and give back, whether volunteering or heading up chairing events,” she says. “Doing events and fundraising for organizations that we’ve been passionate about is where I’ve been most involved.”
One of those organizations is Easterseals of Southwest Florida. Joe first became acquainted with the organization in 1995 when they approached him asking to help start up a separate foundation entity. He did the legal work in establishing the Foundation and became more aware of what Easterseals did for people with disabilities. Once he completed the legal work, they asked Joe if he would like to join the Board of Directors, which Joe gladly accepted.
“Ever since then, I’ve been a part of the organization. They do tremendous work and are one of our community’s frontrunners with many great charitable organizations, which says a lot! It’s been an honorable, long-standing relationship,” Joe says.
Another organization that the Najmys have been heavily involved with is the Lakewood Ranch Community Fund. They have sat on their Board and fundraised for them for many years. They formed their own charitable endowment fund almost 20 years ago. Then shortly after, Barbara was part of a focus group on forming a women’s giving circle for the Lake Club neighborhood in Lakewood Ranch. Established in 2014 with 30 women and now has 115 members with over $100,000 endowed in their fund and has granted out over $20,000. Most of that growth has happened over the last four years, and Barbara credits the excellent leadership team they have in place.
Additionally, Joe helped establish the Lakewood Ranch Rotary Club as one of their founding members. Through many different events, such as their Food and Wine Fest, they’ve raised a lot of money that’s gone directly back into our community. This includes providing the Lakewood Ranch High School softball team with new uniforms, raising money for the Boys and Girls Club of Manatee County, and granting $13,000 to Meals on Wheels PLUS of Manatee.
“The existing members refer to me as the ‘last man standing’ as the last active founding member. Sometimes I feel good about that moniker; other times, I’m not so sure!” Joe jokes. “The Rotary Club has been a very successful organization that’s done a lot of really good work for our local community.”
Barbara’s most significant focus right now is the Lake Club Women’s Giving Circle and collaborating with the Manatee Community Foundation for the group’s success. Its mission is to work with women, children, and families to ensure they have all they need. The Giving Circle had a kick-off event called “Sneaking Back to School,” where they collaborated with Twig to distribute socks and shoes to school-aged children at the end of July. In August, they have an “Embracing Our Differences” event which will be directly involved in distributing books to children to build their at-home library.
Additionally, Barbara chaired Jewish Family Children Services’ Food and Wine Fest event three years in a row.
“That was rewarding because they’re focused on children and adult services,” Barbara states. “I’ve also served on the Board for the State College of Florida and organized their fundraising luncheon. This helped take it to the next level to raise above and beyond the funds they’ve raised in the past.”
Due to all their dedication and hard work, the Najmys have won several awards within Manatee County in recognition of their philanthropic influence. One of those awards was the John A. Clarke Humanitarian of the Year Award from the Lakewood Ranch Community Fund. The Manatee Community Foundation called Barbara and Joe a “power couple known for their humility, kindness, and leadership in making significant contributions without fanfare.”
In March this year, they also received the 2022 Lifetime Spirit Award from the Manatee Community Foundation. This award is given to an individual or couple who demonstrates a lifetime record of exceptional generosity in the community. The Foundation awarded this to Joe and Barbara because they have “given freely of their time, talent, and treasure – always with a lens of joy, collaboration, and gratitude for the opportunity to make a difference.” Joe and Barbara described receiving these awards as highly humbling.
“These are awards we’ve watched others, very deserving honorees, be recognized for and never really saw ourselves in that vein. We’re very honored to be thought of in the same way. It’s something we will not soon forget, if ever,” Joe says.
“I can recall our early days when we attended these events 20 years ago and were very new to the business community. We’d attend the galas and see our peers there, and I remember thinking one day, ‘That would never happen to us!’ It’s something I never thought we would reach, and when we did receive it, it was amazing. I used to think, ‘What does it take to get there?’ But I guess it was just natural for us to do what we do and feel how we feel about our community and the rest just fell into place,” Barbara says.
What is their advice to others who want to give back? Barbara iterates that everybody has the ability to give in some fashion or form, whether that be giving your time or donating unused things in your home. It doesn’t have to be monetary. This ideology has been passed down to Joe and Barbara’s children, nieces, and nephews, who all volunteer and give back to the community as well.
“You’d be surprised how rewarding it is. It’s a day-by-day, month-by-month, year-by-year way of living. You’ll be amazed how quickly time passes, and you look back, and you’ve made a difference in other people’s lives,” Joe says.
The Najmys’ plan for the future is to “stay the course” and are happy to encourage others of the magic of giving back.
“I feel that we set the standard, and we can’t let it go now and let anybody down. We will always be looked upon or reached out to for advice or help,” Barbara says.
