While Jim’s parents were not Rotarians, he grew up in a home which exemplified “Service Above Self.” Jim grew up in Wheeling, West Virginia where his dad was an attorney, served on City Council, and was active in numerous community service organizations. After the children were out of the home, his mother got involved in the community, first to build a new public library, then taking on the restoration of the Governor’s mansion in Charleston, and finally establishing a hospice in Wheeling.
Jim joined our club in 1994. Pretty soon, he found himself paired with Gene Justice chairing the club’s multiple year “Paint Your House Out” project. Jim and Gene were known as Click and Clack. The club painted three houses the first year and then decided to go big. The next year, they got access to the Mid Atlantic Naval Command and the staff sent notice out among the local Navy personnel. The result? About 500 people showed up on the paint day. The focus that year was in Park Place painting Victorian homes. Needing tall ladders, Henry Shriver, an architect with an international reputation, contacted various painting contractors. On the day to paint, the club had assembled fifty 50 foot ladders. Jim says “the Club tends to think big.”
Another project Jim was involved in was the oyster reef restoration. He was the Board member responsible for environmental efforts and made a proposal to build oyster reefs to help clean the water of the Elizabeth River. They contacted Ballard seafood and got oyster shells. The club raised about $200,000 which funded five oyster reefs over four years and was recognized by the Chesapeake Bay Foundation for its efforts.
Jim’s decision to go to the Naval Academy was an easy one. His dad been in the Navy and his mother was a Marine officer during World War II. Additionally, two of his most admired teachers at his military high school were retired Navy officers. After graduating from the Naval Academy, Jim started his Navy career with the idea he would meet his service requirement and then go to law school. His career plans changed after an interview for law school when the Dean of the Law School told Jim that he was a war criminal due to his military service.
His Navy career spanned twenty-six years. He was assigned to a Royal Navy Air base in Cornwall, England as part of the ASW (Anti Submarine Warfare) protection for the HMS Ark Royal carrier. This duty resulted him in being designated a combined expert. This led to being sent to Rome for six months for schooling and then on to Brussels for three years. His last duty station was in Norfolk where he was a staff officer with on a NATO billet.
Prior to retirement, he was at a Service Academy career conference where one of his classmates suggested he take a look at Edward Jones. Unlike living in New York City, being affiliation with Edward Jones would give him the opportunity to be close to home and also to become involved in the community. Upon retirement, he started his twenty plus year career as a financial advisor with Edward Jones.
Jim knew he wanted to become involved in Norfolk and joined our Rotary Club about six months before his retirement in July 1994. Jim was the club president in 2004-2005. He is passionate about The Rotary Foundation and is a Major Donor and has also been very generous to our club’s endowment where he is a Charles Woodward Fellow.
A Naval Academy classmate introduced Jim and his son to the joys of fly fishing in 1994. Jim found the experience to be relaxing. He discovered Project Healing Waters Fly Fishing, a program begun at Walter Reed Army Medical Center for returning service members suffering from the trauma of war and other injuries. Although there was a Project Healing Waters unit in Hampton, there wasn’t a unit on the Southside. He became involved and established the group based at the Portsmouth Naval Hospital. He finds this program really helps service men to overcome the demons that plague many as well as help with rehabilitation for a variety of injuries. Jim was the one who suggested Project Healing Waters as our third partner for our Suds & Buds fundraiser last May.
Jim met his wife, Diane, at a dance while stationed at San Diego. Diane had reluctantly gone to the dance with a friend. When Jim went home to Wheeling to visit his family prior to deploying, Diane decided he must be a pretty good guy. They have four children.
Jim and his two siblings have all been on NPR. Jim was interviewed by Bob Edwards of the Morning Edition. His brother, Tim, has won two Grammys, while his sister, Mollie, was one of the Gospel Hopeful Quartet on Garrison Keeler’s Prairie Home Companion.