JDRF Illinois is thrilled to welcome back Jim Robinson, president, Astellas Americas, as the 2016 One Dream Gala Honorary Corporate Chair.

Jim, a Chicago native, accepted the role of Honorary Corporate Chair for the 2015 One Dream Gala after meeting then-chair Michael Alter at a Young President Organization meeting, in which they are both involved. When Michael shared his personal story about living with type 1 diabetes (T1D) with Jim, it resonated immediately. Jim had a vivid personal experience with the disease that shaped his passion for healthcare. During a baseball game when Jim was young, the father of a close childhood friend had a sudden seizure and was later diagnosed with T1D. Jim remembers his own father pitching in to support by driving his friend to dialysis appointments later in life and how much that meant to him.

To learn more about Jim's personal connection to diabetes and Astellas' support of JDRF, click here.