Jim Strickler to be honored as Tigard’s First Citizen

Jim Strickler, Vice President of Logistics at Blue Bird Transfer, has been selected as Tigard’s First Citizen. This award is given to an individual who has made in-depth, long-term volunteer contributions to the Tigard community over the years. The winner is active, involved, interested, and enthusiastic about making Tigard a nice place to live and work. This individual excels in any area of unpaid endeavor of education, social services, youth work, and community improvement of public services. This award is given in the spirit of all volunteers who remain unknown. Jim joins the ranks of those previously honored in continually striving to improve the Tigard Area.
Jim Strickler exemplifies these characteristics by his active involvement in the Tigard Community across a broad range of social service, non-profit, and community activities. Over the last decade, Jim has been actively involved in multiple facets of our community ranging from business activities and fundraising, to pastoral services and service on the board of a non-profit organization that supports families in need. He has been actively involved with the Tigard Chamber, Good Neighbor Center, Rotary Club of Tigard, Westside Chapel, and Young’s Funeral Home.
A Tigard Chamber member since 2000, Jim has served on the Ambassadors Committee since 2009. He has taken part in many activities at the chamber, including the Emily Bohart Golf Tournament and the Bowl-o-Rama, and he can always be counted on for his support at Good Morning Tigard events. An avid proponent of the chamber, Jim believes all businesses can benefit from chamber membership and encourages members to support each other in many ways. As an example of his support for the chamber, Jim donated his personal time and leveraged connections to get a 20-foot desk disassembled and removed from the chamber at no cost, a great benefit for the chamber.
Jim currently serves as Board Chair for the Good Neighbor Center (GNC), which is a non-profit organization focused on providing short-term housing for families who find themselves homeless. GNC is a place where families are transformed and can become self-sufficient again. A member of the board since 2004, Jim has been on the Personnel Committee since 2005 and also served as the Vice-Chair of the board from 2009-2010. When asked why he serves here, Jim replied: “It’s all about the kids, helping them to get a better start in life.”
Jim is also active in the faith community through his current volunteer work at West Side Chapel, occasionally speaking in the Wednesday evening services, and leading the monthly men’s prayer meetings. He serves Young’s Funeral Home and other local funeral homes as a funeral chaplain providing services for Christian and non-religious funerals. In keeping with his faith focus, Jim founded Living Way Fellowship in 2004 and served as its pastor through 2010. As pastor he led the church to partner for several years with the Tigard Optimist Club’s Annual Youth Walk-A-Thon.
Jim gives back to the Tigard Community through his involvement with the Rotary Club of Tigard, of which he has been a member for the last nine years. For the last four years he has served as Sergeant-at-Arms, and from 2006-2008 he served on the board as the Vocational Services Chair. Jim is instrumental in fundraising for the Tigard High School Annual Achievement Banquet sponsored by Rotary, now in its 46th year. In 2010 Jim was selected as Rotarian of the Year for the Rotary Club of Tigard.
Active in his neighborhood as well, Jim has been the Board President of the Calway Hill Home Owners Association since his election in 2008.
When asked why he should be selected as Tigard’s First Citizen, the person nominating him responded, “When asked to take part in an activity, Jim is always willing to go the extra mile to help in any way he can.”
Jim’s other interests include reading, playing golf, and taking walks with his wife. He and his wife Tina have been married almost 32 years. Their son Josh and his wife Christa live in Kirkland, WA.
Please join us in congratulating Jim Strickler on this well-deserved award. The Tigard’s First Citizen award will be formally presented with other Tigard volunteer and business awards at Tigard’s 2012 Shining Stars Community Awards Celebration, sponsored by Platinum Title Sponsor West Coast Bank and held on Friday, April 27th from 6-9 p.m. at Embassy Suites – Washington Square, event location host. With a theme of “Escape to a Night in the Caribbean”, this Caribbean themed dinner event includes dinner, silent auction, steel drum music, limbo, awards, and more. Tickets are only $35/person, dress is casual, tropical. Come join us to celebrate Tigard.
For further details about Shining Stars, please contact the Tigard Area Chamber of Commerce at 503-639-1656 or at info@tigardchamber.org  or go to our webpage at www.tigardchamber.org
Tigard Area Chamber of Commerce (TACC)
The TACC, established in 1955, is a forward thinking membership organization which provides opportunities for consistent and sustainable long-term business growth!  The TACC is creating a strong, interconnected business community where strength through collaboration and power through partnerships makes Business Soar. We do this by building a strong local economy, providing business networking, being involved in our community and representing the interests of business with government.
About Bluebird Transfer, Inc.
Blue Bird Transfer is a family owned and operated moving company serving the world from the great Pacific Northwest with local, nationwide, and even international moving services. Integrity, service, excellence, and innovation – these characteristics will keep us in business far into the future! For contact information, go tohttp://www.bluebirdtransfer.com/.
Good Neighbor Center
A place where families are transformed and can become self-sufficient once more. When families arrive they are asked to do an assessment of where they are and what the barriers are to long-term stability. A Case Manager works with each family where they are and the family identifies where they want to be and a work plan is created to help them get on the track to become self-sufficient. Although each family is homeless, they are all facing barriers. Weekly check-ins and assignments help families navigate the resources to assistance and finding jobs. http://goodneighborcenter.org/services.php