Thanks to a blocks-long lineup of cars, it seemingly took forever to get into the Hilton Anatole Hotel on Friday, May 17, for the 2024 Robert S. Folsom Leadership Award Dinner. The backup was a tribute to the popularity of James W. “Jim” Keyes, the person picked by the Methodist Health System Foundation to be this year’s Folsom honoree.
Checking in, the buzz was all about how the event would end promptly at 9 — heck, maybe even by 8:45! — thanks to the foundation’s famous punctuality. And, indeed, by 7:10, most of the 750 guests — including Pat and Pete Schenkel, Micki and Mike Rawlings, Steve Folsom, Gail and Gerald Turner and Ron Steinhart — had cut short the 6:30 p.m. reception to occupy their tables in the Chantilly Ballroom. There, they fingered their cutlery and waited for dinner, which was scheduled to start at 7:30. Talk about moving things along!
The fundraiser, co-chaired by Nancy Ann and Ray Hunt, Lottye and Bobby Lyle and Carolyn and David Miller, not only celebrated Jim, but put a spotlight on his favorite things. For example, the entertainment leading up to the 7:30 start was Jim’s “all-time favorite music,” as interpreted by the trumpet-heavy Alada Brass.
Jim also plays the trumpet, in addition to being a businessman, an artist, an author, a speaker and a commercial pilot.
That’s why the evening’s emcee, Dallas Regional Chamber President/CEO Dale Petroskey, called Jim “a modern-day Renaissance man” as soon as Dale took the stage.
Jim served as the CEO of “two internationally recognized Fortune 500 companies — 7-Eleven and Blockbuster,” has engaged in countless philanthropic activities and recently penned a book titled “Education is Freedom,” Dale said. (There was an autographed copy of the book at each place setting.)
He’s also married to Margo Keyes, Dale added — “the best decision Jim ever made in his life.”
Dale then introduced a video message from Jim’s friend, former Mexico President Vicente Fox. Alas, the video was so blurry on at least one of the oversized screens that Fox’s two-minute testimonial unfortunately lost its punch.
Guests heard next from Methodist Health System Foundation President Jim Johnston — he recognized the presenting sponsors and previous Folsom Award winners — and from Christ the King Catholic Church pastor Father Anthony “Tony” Lackland.
Lackland delivered the invocation, but not before presenting Jim’s friends Lauren and Dave Moore, who performed Jim’s arrangement of the Lord’s Prayer set to Leonard Cohen‘s “Hallelujah” melody.
Fr. Lackland gave way to Jim’s favorite Chef Richard Chamberlain, who said he’d created a special dinner menu to recognize his old friend.
First up, in honor of Jim’s time at 7-Eleven, Richard described his “lemon hibiscus Slurpee,” to cleanse the palate. In honor of Jim’s athletic endeavors — he was a high-school baseball star and was invited to several St. Louis Cardinals training camps — Richard had prepared a “baseball-cut” of succulent short rib, along with miso salmon, confit garlic potato puree and charred broccolini. For dessert, there was a peanut butter tiramisu bar or a citrus meringue tart.
As the guests tucked into their meals, Methodist Health System CEO Jim Scoggin explained that the proceeds from the 2024 Folsom Award Dinner would be benefiting the neonatal intensive care unit at Methodist Dallas Medical Center. Already, Jim Johnston added a little later, $1.7 million had been raised for that effort.
Next, Johnston brought onstage Jim’s friend Ambassador Bonnie McElveen-Hunter, a former U.S. ambassador to Finland and, like Jim, a recipient of the Horatio Alger Award. (Bonnie got hers in 2013, while Jim’s came in 2005.) Bonnie spoke warmly of her friend before introducing a video tribute.
In the video, David Miller called Jim “sage,” Bobby Lyle referred to him as a Boy Scout and Bishop Edward Burns said, “He wants the best for everyone.”
During a 5-minute talk after accepting the Folsom Award from Scoggins, Johnston and Methodist Foundation Board Chairman Steve Folsom, Jim said he was grateful for five Fs: faith, family, friendships, freedom and philanthropy. For that last one, his tongue was firmly in cheek.
Then, capping the evening with a nod to Jim’s passion for flying, the oversized screens on either side of the lectern suddenly and surprisingly emitted four bursts of “smoke” that shot out into the audience like the jet trails from the Blue Angels. It was a boffo ending to what all in all was a memorable night.
* Photo credit: Steve Foxall