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 Jim
retired in 2022 after 32 years of military service in the Army, Army
Reserves, and National Guard, culminating as a Faculty Instructor
for the Army War College. He is a licensed Professional Engineer in
the State of Illinois, and now serves as a full time civilian
Technical Director of the U.S. Army Engineer Research and
Development Center’s Construction Engineering Research Laboratory (ERDC-CERL)
in Champaign, IL. As Technical Director, he is responsible for
technical leadership of programs in Combat Engineering, Warfighter &
Emergency Support, and Training Lands & Heritage, where he leads a
highly interdisciplinary team of approximately 150 Federal and
contracted staff.
Jim has served in numerous roles at the federal, state, and local
government levels to include assistant Logan County Engineer,
Illinois Department of Transportation section chief, USDOT-Federal
Highway Administration field engineer, and his current role as an
Army technical director. His military experience includes
deployments with the 1st Cavalry Division, Engineer Brigade; 416th
Theatre Engineer Command; 412th Theatre Engineer Command, and NATO
international officer exchange program, along with commands at the
company and senior field grade officer levels. His military awards
include the Meritorious Service Medal, Air Assault Badge, and the
Combat Action Badge.
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Jim resides in Lincoln with his wife, Natalie Beth,
of over 28 years, where they raised their three daughters, Lurena,
Haley, and Madelyn. He enjoys physical fitness, military history,
time with his family, and promoting veteran wellness.
The Central Illinois Veterans Commission was established in 2018 to
provide Central Illinois veterans with the tools and support systems
to enable them to move forward to obtain permanent sustainable
housing. The organization has completed three homes in Lincoln,
Illinois that have been given to local qualifying veterans in the
last two years. Two new homes are being planned at this time, with
construction expected to begin in the spring of 2023. Learn more at
www.civeteran.org
[Patti Becker] |
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