Name: Jim Johnson (James Reese Johnson) 

Title/Position/Occupation: President of JMS Management Consulting specializing in improving marketing/sales processes for small businesses and serving as a unbiased outside advisor to CEOs and business owners.

Sphere of Influence: President of Duluth Merchants Association, Duluth Kiwanis Club member for 25 years, Adult Sunday School class leader at Duluth First United Methodist Church, and Duluth Planning Commission member.

Education/Background: BA in Business, MA in Economics from University of Nebraska. Executive Training Program at Harvard University. Recruited by and received practical training in business at two Fortune 500 companies, Allis Chalmers Corp. and White Motor Corp., where I reached senior positions serving in the marketing and sales departments.  

Accomplishments/Accolades: Developed business management skills and knowledge over many years as a farm and industrial equipment business manager at four different firms. Helped build a German combine plant in Indiana and set up operations in the U.S.

Purchased Medical Alarm Company in 1986 and became first Georgia Medicaid provider for medical alarms. Instrumental in creating a new industry for medical monitoring by setting up distributors throughout the United States with wholesale national sales office in Duluth for 15 years. Monitored call centers in Boston and Ft. Lauderdale. Set up relationship in China to engineer and manufacture a medical electronics product. 

Projects/Goals: Help consulting clients meet their goals and complete my presidency working with business leaders within the Duluth Merchants Association. Continue to volunteer as a Kiwanian and help raise two grandsons.  

Hobbies/Leisure Activities: Motorcycle riding for past 11 years, golfing and volunteering with Kiwanis.

Civic/Church Involvement: Member of Duluth First United Methodist Church and Duluth Kiwanis. Served as president of the Duluth Kiwanis Club twice, lieutenant governor for State Division 19, State of Georgia Aktion Club and Growth Advisor. 

Family: Married to my high school sweetheart Jane. One son Chad, a Georgia Tech engineer; daughter in-law Laura and two grandsons Zach and Luke. Father, sister and family live in Lincoln, NE. "Life is great."

Something hardly anyone knows about you: Worked as a cowboy one summer before college and majored in “cowboy economics,” which means practical application of economics in business.