With his 35 years as an attorney, Jim Weller brings extensive legal expertise to the St. John’s ICARE Foundation Advisory Committee which he joined shortly after its founding. The Foundation, established in 2021, benefits and supports the charitable and educational activities of Episcopal Health Services, Inc. (EHS). Jim, a resident of Dix Hills and father of two grown sons, is a former commercial litigator and retired partner from Nixon Peabody, a large, international law firm.
Jim’s work with Nixon Peabody introduced him to St. John’s, as the firm provided legal services to EHS for many years. He says, “Over the last 12 years or so, I was a litigator involved with both consulting with the hospital and management on legal issues and handling litigation from time to time.”
The relationship has continued to grow over the last three years. When Jim retired from his law firm at the end of 2020, he took a full-time position as the inhouse attorney (officially known as Chancellor) for the Episcopal Diocese of Long Island. “As chief legal officer, I work closely with the Bishop [Lawrence Provenzano, Bishop of Long Island, who is also Chair of the EHS Board of Trustees] and in this role, I’ve gotten further involved with the hospital. I serve as special counsel on behalf of the Bishop to the EHS Board. When St. John’s decided to form the ICARE Foundation, I took the lead in working with my colleagues at Nixon Peabody in terms of setting up the Foundation.”
Jim expresses his excitement about the ICARE’s Advisory Committee, recognizing the different skill sets among the group, with members from many areas across Long Island. “There are people who are active in these communities, those with a long history of fundraising, and some very good networks across different areas. I’ve got a good network as well, through my law firm and activities throughout Long Island,” he says.
From Jim’s history with the hospital and experience within the Rockaway peninsula, he’s seen a number of changes in the community, including the closure of Peninsula Hospital and St. John’s subsequently stepping up to become the only provider of healthcare services. With that, Jim is inspired by the positive developments EHS has made over the last 10 years and about St. John’s path forward, citing improvements to the physical structure of the hospital and the way things are being run. Complementing the current EHS administration, Jim says, “I saw what things were like before the improvements over the last decade, and it’s so much better now, like night and day from the way it was.”
Jim feels St. John’s has become a valued member of the community. He reflects on the awards the hospital has received and the continued progression in terms of how it’s ranked. Just as importantly, is the information that comes to the EHS Board from the community, showing the appreciation from the hospital’s constituents for what has become a vital source of healthcare within their midst.
