A Foundation for Growth

Jul 26, 2024

A Conversation with Palm Health Foundation Trustee Nathan E. Nason

Nathan E. "Nat" Nason, of counsel at Nason, Yeager, Gerson, Harris & Fumero P.A., has seen a lot of growth and change in Palm Beach County over the last six decades. He remembers when Singer Island’s highest building was only four stories tall, and the Colonnades Beach Hotel owned by billionaire John D. McArthur in Palm Beach Shores was the “it” place to be. He’s had a front-row seat to growth in his career as well. As the eighth employee to join his father's former law firm in 1985, the firm has now grown to four offices in Florida and 48 attorneys. When Nat was elected to Palm Health Foundation’s board of trustees in 2017, he saw it as an opportunity to expand his personal impact on a county—and a philanthropic organization—on the move.

Q: What drew you to the foundation?

A: Civic engagement and giving back to my community are important to me. I was born at St. Mary’s Hospital and my mom and dad had roots in the Glades. I’ve always been involved with organizations that have a significant influence in guiding the county’s development, including the West Palm Beach Rotary Club in my early career where I was president, and the Palm Beach North Chamber of Commerce, where I worked my way up to chair. Philippe Jeck, a fellow chamber member and Palm Health Foundation trustee, asked me if I would be interested in replacing him to fill the foundation’s need for an attorney on the board. I knew if Philippe was involved, it had to be a good organization. I joined the board at the same time Patrick McNamara was hired as president and CEO. We went through a learning process together and the more I got involved, the more I realized all the good the foundation was doing.

Q: What are some examples of the foundation’s impact that have been particularly meaningful to you?

A: The foundation’s Healthier Together initiative is a model that could be replicated in areas of need. It’s a grassroots movement that aims to—and does—provide better health outcomes to underserved communities. It’s also an example of how the foundation is partnering with residents and other players in the Palm Beach County community. We provide resources and they provide knowledge to direct where those resources need to go. BeWellPBC is another example of that model in mental health and wellness, an area where the foundation is making significant investments. Who among us hasn’t been touched in some way by a mental health situation? We’ve made brain health outcomes one of the legs of the foundation’s stool. It’s a focus area that resonates with the community and is very much needed.

Q: Why is brain health important to you?

A: I have family members who have been affected by neurodegenerative diseases and drug addiction. Many of us do. It’s touched me on a personal level. And when you see people struggling on the streets, or you talk to Sherriff Bradshaw, you realize it is a pervasive problem. I can’t close my eyes to it. It’s there. The vision Patrick has for Palm Beach County becoming a “Brain Coast,” and our partnerships with FAU Brain Institute, Max Planck, and others, plus our investments in mental/behavioral health professions scholarships and fellowships are what’s needed to get the ball rolling.

Three Fun Facts About Nat Nason:

1	He’s played guitar for over 50 years. In college, his band was called “Nat and the Insects.”
2	Competitive sailfishing is his favorite sport. One of his fiercest competitors is Michael Jordan’s boat, Catch 23.
3	He’s a graduate of Cardinal Newman High School, Florida State University, and Duke University Law School.

Q: How have you seen Palm Health Foundation grow?

A: When I first joined, it was one of the best-kept secrets in the Palm Beach County philanthropic community. Now, our mission and what we do are beginning to resonate with the community and our story is being told. It’s like a snowball getting bigger as it rolls downhill. People are giving their time, joining committees, and donating because what we’re doing is good stuff.

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