They say life happens when you’re busy doing other things. That was definitely the case in 1991, when a Mississippi gal and Tennessee gent became acquainted. Stacey was merely planning a move here, and her new colleague happened to know a contact in Sarasota. Michael was just the perfect person to show her around. In fact, maybe a whole lot more. They spoke by phone, and he penciled her in on the calendar. Like any man, he not-so-accidentally incorporated football into the plan. It was a University of Tennessee game. The deal was this: she could join only if she didn’t cheer for Alabama. She said she hated Alabama. Perfect! It really wasn’t supposed to be a date, but they just celebrated 32 years of marriage.

 

Both were pharmaceutical sales reps at the time-competitors, at that! Michael more senior, teased Stacey about the inferior drugs she sold. His were so much more effective and with fewer side effects, of course.

 

They married a few years later and moved to Franklin, Tennessee. After having 2 children they moved back to the greater Sarasota area 8 years later for Michael’s job. They made wonderful memories in their spacious home in River Club, near Lakewood Ranch. They’d lived back there for 20 years. A couple of years ago, however, they decided it was time to downsize. They were ready to be closer to work, the water, and the action of the city. “We love it here”, Stacey said. Their home in Mandarin Park is light, bright and inviting. They love hosting holiday dinners, delicious and plentiful, and often include local family as well as grandparents from afar. They are so close to the hospital that trauma helicopters can be seen taking off. While it is fascinating to watch, they often find themselves saying prayers for the patients being transported during emergencies. A side note: the house must be hurricane-proof. They can luckily say they didn’t have a bit of flooding or damage during Milton.

 

Nowadays, Stacey is President of Sarasota Memorial Healthcare Foundation, the philanthropic partner of Sarasota Memorial Health Care System. She is responsible for leading strategies, operations and fundraising initiatives which provide the health system with critical resources in key areas of patient care, education, clinical research, and technology and facility enhancement. Ms. Corley is well known as a dynamic fundraising executive with a passion for her work and commitment to providing an exceptional donor experience. Her expertise has enabled the Healthcare Foundation to reach several historical milestones, including raising $95 million for the Brian D. Jellison Cancer Institute.

Some other recent projects she has largely contributed her time and efforts towards, along with the help of generous donors in the community, include the Cornell Behavioral Health Pavillion at SMH, and a 24-hour support phone line for those in need of mental health resources. And hopefully, Stroll readers have joined the Healthcare Foundation for a signature event like Rock The Roof or the Women & Medicine Educational Luncheon. Philanthropy really does help make a world-class hospital like SMH even better.  “I have the best job in the world”, she said. Prior to joining the Healthcare Foundation, she served as Vice President for Advancement at Ringling College of Art and Design for most of her 10 years there. Other previous accomplishments include co-interim Executive Director of Sarasota Art Museum and Associate Director for Development of Florida State University Foundation/The John and Mable Ringling Museum of Art. She has held multiple leadership positions with local and national organizations, including Junior League of Sarasota, Ringling College Library Association, Sarasota Women’s Alliance, Visit Sarasota County, Association of Fundraising Professionals, and is a member of International Women’s Forum and Association for Healthcare Philanthropy. She was honored with the “Girls Inc. 2025 She Knows Where She’s Going Award”. Stacey holds both a Bachelor of Professional Accountancy and an MBA  in Management from Mississippi State University.

 

Michael is President and founder of The Corley Company LLC, a firm that advises non-profit executives on strategy and leadership, and facilitates strategic discussions among leadership teams. He has worked with 50-75 boards and executive teams both locally and across the state. Prior to founding The Corley Company, he held positions of President/COO and CFO for a 200+ employee professional employer organization, a practice administrator to a 25-physician pediatric group, and VP of Marketing for a health technology company. Michael has served on nonprofit boards as the Board Chair, Treasurer, Governance Chair, and Finance Chair. He is a 2022 graduate and an active member of Leadership Florida, founding board member of the Sarasota-Manatee Chapter of the University of Tennessee Alumni Association, and a confidential sounding board for several local organizational leaders. Michael holds an undergraduate degree from the University of Tennessee and his Executive MBA from USF-Tampa.

 

Stacey and Michael are ecstatic that sons, Read and Cooper (both FSU grads), recently made the decision to move back to Sarasota. Both live in downtown. Read is a podcast and video producer, who helps individuals and businesses who want to amplify their brands. One of his favorite productions is the “I 501(c) You”, featuring his father’s business, The Corley Company.  For anyone unfamiliar with business terminology, a 501(c) is a non-profit organization. Great play on words, I must say! I 501(c) You is intended to educate in leadership and career development, as well as what it means to be a board member, and its associated professional benefits. Some of his other podcast clients have included Visit Sarasota, The Business Observer, and Beyond the Spectrum. He is a runner, volunteers as a mentor for Take Stock in Children Manatee and is in the upcoming Leadership Sarasota class. Their other son, Cooper, works diligently as a wholesale insurance broker specializing in the marine industry. He loves spending time on the beach and water and has also recently begun honing in on the art of being a DJ.

 

“Dawgs, Vols, and Noles” are a few other important items to address. In the Corley household, that motto means Mississippi State, University of Tennessee, and Florida State Universitytheir alma maters. They often cheer for these teams on TV and at football and basketball games. Favorite hobbies, otherwise, include socializing with friends, walking, listening to 80’s hair bands, and laughing along to Will Farrell movies.

 

Some of the Corley Family’s favorite memories include the birth of their boys, many years with their special Jack Russell Terrier, Pippi (who sadly passed away 2 years ago) and several memorable vacations they’ve shared. Vacations always lead to funny memories… after the fact, that is. For instance, Read somehow managed to forget his suitcase one time on a ski trip to Park City, Utah. Cooper’s five minutes of travel fame weren’t much better. He got sick all over the hotel room at Disney. “We laugh now, but neither of these experiences were funny back then”, Stacey giggled.

 

Michael told me during our call to prepare this article that he thought Stacey had surely gushed about his rugged looks, boyish charm, and how he is the best at cooking and cleaning. Those claims were vetoed by his wife in a split second. She explained that she is the one who does the cooking. He laughed and agreed that she’s quite good at it. She was even chair of the Junior League of Sarasota Simply Sarasota Cookbook. She is always googling new recipes, but one of her recent and most delicious kitchen creations was a grilled fish dish prepared with mangoes she found on the sidewalk! They’d like to offer a special thanks to whoever’s tree from which those mangoes fell.

 

The Corleys love Sarasota in so many ways, whether that is working in the non-profit sector to make the city a better place, attending fun philanthropic events, making special memories as a family, or just walking over to Morton’s with stops to chat with neighbors along the way.  Each day, they are still exploring all we have to offer here. Say hi to Stacey, Michael and the boys if you get the chance to meet them. At Stroll, we want to express our sincere gratitude for all they do to enrich our community.