John DeAngelis rolls out of bed at 5:45 a.m. onto his knees, head bowed in prayer. He recites Psalms 143:8:Let the morning bring me word of your unfailing love, for I have put my trust in you. Show me the way I should go, for to you I entrust my life. He works out, spends time with his youngest daughters—13-year-old Jade, whom he and his wife Kelly adopted 11 years ago, and 9-year-old Zara, adopted 8 years ago—and then drops them off at school. He might talk to one of his three grown children on the phone, and he’s in his office by 7:45 a.m. In everything he does, John lives what he preaches: “We always talk about how modeling generosity is really important because it’s contagious,” he says. “We want to set the pace for those around us—people are watching and they want to see what you are saying, if your values are for real.”
The co-founder of DeAngelis Diamond moved to Naples from West Virginia when he was 14, studied at the University of Florida, then returned home and started DeAngelis Diamond with his partner, David Diamond, nearly three decades ago. For the first six months, the duo met every Friday morning and prayed about their budding company, founded with values bookended by faith and integrity. In 2002, a booklet, The Treasure Principle, gifted to John by a pastor, revolutionized how he thought about his work. The main idea: God doesn’t increase your material wealth to bolster your standard of living, but rather, your standard of giving. “I read it in two hours, and I practically highlighted the whole book,” John says.
On a drive down I-75 or Tamiami Trail, you’ll find business after business with DeAngelis Diamond’s fingerprints. Naples’ The Collective, Arthrex’s headquarters and the upcoming Margaritaville Beach Resort Fort Myers Beach all flaunt the company’s handiwork. While John’s more hands-off now with the builds, he still focuses on creating bonds in the community. “We’re going to build a relationship,” John says—and if a building does come out of that, great. “But if not, we’re really in it for the relationship.” The firm often works with nonprofits, spearheading projects like the Naples Children and Education Foundation headquarters, Neighborhood Health Clinic’s 2018 expansion and Ride Nature, a faith-based adventure sports group in Fort Myers. DeAngelis Diamond’s nonprofit contracts guarantee 100 percent of savings—from quicker turnaround times or lower material costs—go back to the nonprofit. They also commit 2 percent of annual earnings to charity, contribute to 50 nonprofits and give employees paid time off to volunteer.
Giving saturates every element of John’s life. Ten years ago, he and Kelly started the Ephesians 3:20 Foundation, a Naples-based nonprofit that assists those who want to adopt. The foundation has helped more than 320 kids find their families. John says adopting their two daughters was the best and hardest thing the couple has done. The experience opened their eyes to the 153 million orphaned children worldwide. “Adopting one child won’t change the world, “ John says. “But for that one child, the world will change, and your world will change.” It also taught the DeAngelises that modeling generosity is infectious, as some of the family’s friends went on to adopt, too. “Our greatest accomplishment won’t be what,” he says. “It’s who.” —Andrew Atkins