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Jess Sweely

Goodreads Author

Born

in The United States

Website

https://jesssweely.com

Genre

Biography, Memoir, Business

Member Since

April 2023

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Jess Sweely was born to Elmer Sweely and Elizabeth Shope Sweely, a working class couple in Clearfield Pa. on May 28, 1938 He grew up in Cherry tree, Pa. and Clearfield, Pa. He served in the Virginia National Guard and received degrees from Benjamin Franklin University, American University and George Washington University while working full-time. He is also a Certified Public Accountant and a Graduate of the Realtors Institute (GRI) at the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill.

He was an executive with Fairchild -Hiller's Aircraft Division, General Dynamics Corporation and Kaman Aerospace Corporation before the age of 34.He also was the President of ILC-Steinhal, a manufacturer of parachutes for both private and government use at the age Jess Sweely was born to Elmer Sweely and Elizabeth Shope Sweely, a working class couple in Clearfield Pa. on May 28, 1938 He grew up in Cherry tree, Pa. and Clearfield, Pa. He served in the Virginia National Guard and received degrees from Benjamin Franklin University, American University and George Washington University while working full-time. He is also a Certified Public Accountant and a Graduate of the Realtors Institute (GRI) at the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill.

He was an executive with Fairchild -Hiller's Aircraft Division, General Dynamics Corporation and Kaman Aerospace Corporation before the age of 34.He also was the President of ILC-Steinhal, a manufacturer of parachutes for both private and government use at the age of 35. He founded his own real estate development firm and has taught at a Department of Defense school, DSMC, for Program Managers. In the mid-1980's he served as Executive VP of SMA, a government contractor specializing in installing administrative computers on US Navy vessels.

In 1988 he joined a small company that was overhauling railcars for the transit indutrsy and owned by Anthony (Tony) Welters. Subsequently they received a contract to supply the US Navy with "SeaSheds". A SeaShed was a 60,000 + pound large metal structure that fit inside the hull of a ship and was used to transport M-1 Tanks.Together with Tony and Edgar Rios, other ventures included operating a computer system integration company and finally AmeriChoice, a healthcare management company in 1989, AmeriChoice became the largest Medicaid HMO in the United States before selling to United Healthcare in 2002 with revenues exceeding $1 Billion. At the time of the sale, Jess was Vice-Chairmen and Chief Operating Officer (COO).

Jess retired to the family horse farm in 2005 at the age of 67, and preceded to establish a winery in Madison County that had the capability of producing 20,000 cases a year. The winery was sold to Steve Case (AOL) in 2010.

Today, Jess and his wife Sharon, of 61+ years of marriage, live on the family farm while daughter Robin runs the horse operation. Jess spends his time writing and is becoming an activist with respect to healthcare and business issues.He is the father of three children, Robin, Scott & Stacy, and a grandfather and a great-grandfather.

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Jess Sweely’s books

Average rating: 4.9 · 48 ratings · 38 reviews · 1 distinct work • Similar authors

The Journey

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Jess Sweely's Blog: Notes from Jess Sweely

The Coal Town I Left, and Never Really Did

I grew up in Cherry Tree, a small coal town in Clearfield County, Pennsylvania, in a family shaped by the railroad. Nobody in that town expected a kid from there to end up in the executive suites of some of the country's biggest aerospace and defense companies, or to help build a healthcare company from nothing into one that UnitedHealth Group would later acquire. I didn't expect it either.

I passe Read more of this blog post »

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Published on August 26, 2026 17:11

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Jess Sweely is now following Huey Choi Author of Who Stole My Pork Belly?: A Memoir
Sep 17, 2026 02:26PM · like
Jess Sweely rated a book it was amazing Hitler and My Mother-in-Law by Teresa Svoboda	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
Sep 10, 2026 11:27PM · like · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of Hitler and My Mother-in-Law by Teresa Svoboda. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — Hitler and My Mother-in-Law by Teresa Svoboda <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
Jess Sweely and 3 other people liked Jess Sweely's blog post: The Coal Town I Left, and Never Really Did "I grew up in Cherry Tree, a small coal town in Clearfield County, Pennsylvania, in a family shaped by the railroad. Nobody in that town expected a kid from there to end up in the executive suites of some of the country's biggest aerospace and defe..." Read more of this blog post »
Sep 06, 2026 09:37AM
Jess Sweely rated a book it was amazing The Journey by Jess Sweely (Goodreads Author)	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
Sep 04, 2026 05:17PM · like · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of The Journey by Jess Sweely. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — The Journey by Jess Sweely <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
Jess Sweely rated a book it was amazing The Extreme Mercy of Jesus Christ: And how He proved it to me by Jack L. Finkle	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
A Must-Read for Church Leaders: This book should be required reading for pastors and ministry leaders. It provides a crucial perspective on the hidden struggles within the Church and reminds us that we serve a God of refuge, not judgment.
Jul 16, 2026 03:52PM · like · see review
Jess Sweely rated a book it was amazing Daddy, This Is It. Being-with My Dying Dad by Julie Saeger Nierenberg (Goodreads Author)	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
A touching reminder that every goodbye can also be filled with gratitude.
Jul 08, 2026 05:25PM · like · see review · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of Daddy, This Is It. Being-with My Dying Dad by Julie Saeger Nierenberg. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — Daddy, This Is It. Being-with My Dying Dad by Julie Saeger Nierenberg <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
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Jess Sweely rated a book it was amazing Protector's Surprise Twins: An Off-Limits, Forced Proximity, Opposites Attract Romance (Forbidden Protectors & Surprise Babies) by Jolene Mosi	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
Nash's devotion is written in a way that feels completely authentic. There is nothing performative about the way Nash loves Giada. Mosi shows it in the small things — the way he notices what she needs before she asks, the way he positions himself betw ...more
May 09, 2026 10:01AM · 1 like · like · see review · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of Protector's Surprise Twins by Jolene Mosi. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — Protector's Surprise Twins by Jolene Mosi <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
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