Russ and Carla Paonessa
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Long before Russ and Carla Paonessa were Mayo Clinic Philanthropic Partners, their families instilled in them the values that guide their approach to philanthropy.
“My mother would say, ‘Whatever you do, do with your might. Things done by halves are never done right,’” Carla recalls. “She wasn’t saying, ‘Be perfect.’ She was saying, ‘If you put the right effort in, you don’t have to worry about the outcome.’”
The Paonessas have always put in a strong effort when it comes to Mayo Clinic. They have poured their energies into service on leadership councils and as hosts of benefactor events. In addition, they have endowed the chair in Student Life & Wellness at Mayo Clinic College of Medicine and Science, supported capital expansion projects, and made a special gift toward the production of Ken Burns’ documentary “The Mayo Clinic: Faith – Hope – Science.”
“We think Mayo Clinic does healthcare right,” Russ says. “Everyone says that they put the patients first, but Mayo really does. They are patient with the patients and listen well.”
We think Mayo Clinic does healthcare right. Everyone says that they put the patients first, but Mayo really does.
— Russ Paonessa
One gift that holds special significance for the Paonessas is the naming gift they made in support of the library in the Integrated Education and Research Building at the Mayo Clinic campus in Arizona. Russ and Carla are both lifelong learners who spent lots of time in libraries when they were growing up.
“Mayo is going to stay on the cutting edge of education and be the envy of a lot of healthcare institutions, and they’re not afraid to partner with their students,” Carla says. “They listen to what the students say they want in education.”
Russ and Carla both believe that organizations function at their best when everyone feels their voice is valued. They say that Mayo’s team-focused approach — “they don’t tolerate egos” — reminds them of the successful businesses they helped lead. So too does the organization’s embrace of new technologies.
“Mayo Clinic is undaunted by the future, which is tough to do. In medicine, there’s a lot of doing things because, ‘That’s what the book says to do’ or ‘That’s what our protocols say,’” Carla says. “Mayo’s not afraid of growth and stepping out of traditional patterns.”