Former Raymond James CEO, wife donate $2M to disability nonprofit

Philanthropists Tom James, former CEO of Raymond James Financial, and wife Mary James have given $2 million to Parc Center for Disabilities, the largest private donation ever received by the organization, according to a news release.

Earmarked for the groundbreaking of the new Children's Services Center, the gift "significantly elevates Parc's capacity to empower individuals with developmental disabilities," the center says.

St. Pete-based Parc Center for Disabilities is a nonprofit that has been serving children and adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities since 1953. Its new Children's Services Center is set to be a "premier facility," with state-of-the-art technology and enhancement for children's cognitive and emotional development, the center says.

Beyond a preschool, the center will feature three specially designed playgrounds and provide comprehensive educational and early therapeutic interventions, the center says, designed for intellectual and developmental disabilities.

"People should know that, despite the size of the community we’re in, we have a very good place for people with special needs, which you can’t find everywhere. I've known the people with Parc for a very long time," says Tom James in the release. "The fact is, they have demonstrated time and time again, they'll bend over backwards to help all the kids and all the adults who need services. I speak from experience knowing some of the people who live there. I’m proud we are associated with Parc Center for Disabilities."

Tom James created the practice at Raymond James Financial of supporting philanthropic efforts in the communities where its employees live and work, the center says.

And Tom and Mary James have been pivotal in championing the Parc Center mission for years, says Michelle Detweiler, Parc Center CEO. The donation will help Parc Center advance as a place to treat developmental disabilities, she says.

Parc Center says it caters to individuals from infancy through senior living. The organization is structured around three pillars: children's services, adult day training and residential care, "ensuring a lifetime of support for individuals and families."

Following a $6 million investment in enhancing adult services and facilities, Parc Center says the next significant phase is the development of the Children's Services Center.

"This initiative is particularly crucial, as Parc is the sole provider of early intervention services for children with developmental disabilities in Pinellas County," the center says.