Meet Jim King...

Jim King story is one of perseverance, determination and success -- qualities that our new mayor will need if he is to address the many challenges our community faces when Mayor Abramson steps aside to run with Governor Steve Beshear as his Lt Governor in 2011.

 

 

 

Childhood Years

Like many families living in Louisville’s St. Joe neighborhood in the early 1950s, Jim King was one of eight children born to working class parents. In his childhood years, Jim’s mother took care of the home and family while his father drove a laundry truck to make ends meet.

Although Jim enjoyed many wonderful childhood memories growing up and considered himself fortunate to attend elementary school at St. Raphael, Jim learned early that life wasn’t always fair and seldom easy. At thirteen his parents divorced, leaving his mother to care for eight growing children. Despite the economic hardship, Jim’s mother kept the family together. And like his older sisters, Jim rolled up his sleeves, working odd jobs around the neighborhood to help pay the bills.

There were three important lessons that Jim learned during this difficult period in his life -- lessons he’s never forgotten: the importance of family, the importance of a hard work ethic and that anything worth having is worth fighting for. Little did Jim realize at the time that these valuable lessons would pay huge dividends later in life.

 

 

 

St. Xavier

 

Because the family constantly struggled financially, Jim began mowing lawns in the neighborhood during the summer before his freshman year at St. Xavier. Jim used all the money he had saved over the summer to help pay tuition and for bus fare to and from school.

Though he made good grades, after completing his freshman year at St. X, Jim resigned himself to the fact that, even with his mother’s help, he could not afford to attend St. X the next year. Instead, Jim focused that summer on expanding his budding lawn mowing business and gave little thought to what the future held.

After coming home from Atherton High School on the first day of his sophomore year, Jim was met on the front porch by his mother who told him Brother Conrad from St. Xavier had called wanting to know why Jim had not come to class. When his mother explained to Brother Conrad that she simply couldn’t afford to send her son to St. X, Brother Conrad encouraged her to bring Jim by his office when he returned home.

 

 

JCC and U of L

 

Jim seized the opportunity Brother Conrad had given him and after graduating from St X in 1969 he looked forward to college. But as with everything in his life, finding a way to pay for it was another story. Jim wanted to go to the University of Louisville but couldn’t afford the tuition, so Jim enrolled at JCC (Jefferson Community College) instead, rolled up his sleeves (again) and went to work at Henry Vogt Machine Company where they offered a tuition reimbursement program for their workers.

Jim excelled academically and was elected as Vice President of the JCC Student Council. While attending JCC, Jim got married and started a family. Today, Jim and his wife, Debbie, have a family of four children and eight grandchildren.
In 1971, with his Associate Degree in hand and the Vogt Company’s tuition reimbursement program to help defer the cost, Jim King enrolled at the University of Louisville where he attended night classes full-time while continuing to work full-time during the day.

In 1973, after a lot of hard work during the days and late nights studying, and many semesters as a Dean’s list scholar Jim graduated from the University of Louisville with a degree in accounting and went to work for Ernst & Young’s Louisville office in 1975.

 

 

Starting his own business and creating jobs

 

In 1981, as he approached a partnership with Ernst and Young, Jim was faced with a difficult choice. To reach the partner level Jim would have to uproot his young family and move to a new city. Instead of taking the promotion Jim decided to stay in Louisville, roll up his sleeves (again) and get to work starting his own CPA Firm. King & Company has grown from a one person accounting firm to a thriving small business that employs more than 20 people today.

Jim understands that building a successful business is more about building a successful team than about any one person.
Building a successful team, begins with taking care of every team member. To that end Jim provides his employees with competitive pay packages that include health insurance, disability, retirement and dental benefits.
As Jim’s Company grew, he began exploring other business opportunities and in 1986 he bought controlling interest in a small town bank near Bardstown, KY.

The bank had $6 million in assets, one office and 10 employees. Under Jim King’s strong leadership and fiscally conservative management, that once small town bank now boasts more than $175 million in assets, has seven branch offices (5 in Louisville) and employs more than 50 people.

Today it is known as King Southern Bank.

It is because of Jim’s money management skills and business acumen that when national banks and Wall Street investment firms were taking billions from the federal government in bail out money to stay afloat, King Southern Bank never took a penny!

 

 

Giving back to our community

 

As Jim King’s businesses grew and prospered, he never forgot Brother Conrad’s reminder. While Jim has always been a major donor to St. Raphael, St X, Trinity and Assumption High Schools, over the years, he’s also found ways to give back to the community he loves so much. Jim serves on numerous boards and foundations.

He sponsors the Louisville Orchestra’s Annual Christmas Concert and the Kentucky Derby Festival annual golf tournament. He is a major sponsor of the Louisville Down Syndrome’s annual fundraising drive, provides discounted audit services to the Louisville Ballet and is a major supporter of Louisville’s Fund for the Arts and Habitat for Humanity.

 

 

Metro Council

 

When Councilman Cyril Allgeier retired in 2004 after 23 years of faithful service, Jim King recognized a new opportunity to give back and help improve our community by running for Councilman Allgeier’s seat on the new Metro Council. Having always believed that to be a good leader you must be a good listener, Jim’s campaign for Metro Council was no different.

He campaigned door-to-door, meeting voters and listening to their concerns.

On election night, Jim was ready to lead.

With his businesses succeeding, Jim focused his full attention on serving the citizens of his council district, Louisville and Jefferson County. As a freshman councilman, Jim’s business experience in accounting and finance earned him a spot on the Council’s budget committee, where he has provided strong oversight and valuable input in developing the city’s budget for five consecutive years.

 

 

Rise to Metro Council President

 

As a councilman, Jim continued his approach of listening to his constituents, as well as his fellow council members and whenever called upon, Jim was ready to lead. His fellow council members quickly recognized Jim’s ability to bring people together to forge consensus. Jim was elected by his Democratic peers in 2005 to serve as the Vice-Chair of their caucus.

His success and effectiveness as a leader and a legislator led to Jim being elected Chair of the Democratic Caucus and President Pro-Tem of the Council in 2006. For the first time in the history of the Democratic Caucus, a member of the Caucus was reelected as Democratic Caucus Chair as Jim was re-elected in 2007. And in 2008, Jim King was elected by his peers to serve as Metro Council President. Jim King provided the leadership and forged the consensus necessary to move forward on construction of our new arena - now underway.

In that connection he led the fight to change the arena development agreement to save tax payers as much as $200 million. He stood up for our working families and passed a Fair Labor Standards Ordinance and as Metro Council President, Jim King established the first Government Accountability and Oversight Committee.

To demonstrate his resolve and determination to bring accountability and transparency to Metro government, Jim appointed a member from the opposite political party to serve as the Committee’s first Chairman. During his tenure on the Louisville/Jefferson County Metro Council Jim King has served as either a member of the Budget Committee or Chairman of the Budget Committee. Jim has reviewed and helped draft every city budget for the last five years.

When it comes to preparing our city’s $700+ million budget, we can’t afford a Mayor who requires on the job training. We need a Mayor who will listen to the citizens of our community and is prepared and ready to lead on day one. Jim is that person.