By Angela Higginbotham
angela@floridanewsline.com
Mike Rolewicz grew up in the suburbs of Baltimore, Md., and graduated with a degree in finance from Penn State University. In 1995, Rolewicz fell in love with Northeast Florida and an opportunity to relocate to Jacksonville presented itself. He decided to join a college friend (and former Jacksonville Jaguar) in a business venture. The two grew a successful staffing firm from the ground up. Rolewicz ran the firm for 23 years and recently sold the company to pursue his passion in real estate. Currently working with Berkshire Hathaway, Rolewicz specializes in the luxury Ponte Vedra real estate market.
He met his wife, Natalie, while working at his staffing company. The two have been married for 20 years and have two teenage children. Rolewicz is a cancer survivor and is passionate about living well and enjoying his family and community. He is an avid fisherman in the Palm Valley area. He and his family moved from Nocatee to the Intracoastal Waterway, on Roscoe Boulevard in 2014. As two-time winners of the dock competition in the Palm Valley Boat Parade, the Rolewicz family enjoys the annual event showcasing the joy of the holidays.
- What do you enjoy most about living in Ponte Vedra?
I enjoy the lifestyle on the water. I can wake up and see the tide and go fishing easily. The schools are great and it’s just a wonderful place to raise kids.
- What inspired you to join in on the Palm Valley Boat Parade dock competition?
It’s just a fun way to support the community. We go all out, “Griswold” style. We usually have around 4,000 lights up and we really enjoy participating each year.
- What do you enjoy doing in your spare time?
Boating and fishing mainly. Living in this area, it’s also hard not to play a little bit of golf.
- What do you consider your greatest accomplishment thus far?
Starting my staffing firm and running it successfully for such a long time. Also, beating stage three tongue squamous cell carcinoma. I completed treatment in 2016.
- What was your most valuable lesson learned from your journey with cancer?
The treatment for cancer with radiation and chemotherapy was very hard on me. I was out of work for months and I realized that the company ran really well without me. I started thinking about what I wanted to do next and what I was passionate about doing with my life. I told my wife that I didn’t believe the company was where I need to be anymore and I took the leap into real estate, which I love. My journey with cancer brought me a lot of clarity.
Photo courtesy Mike Rolewicz
Mike Rolewicz
