Jim is currently a first-year member on our board, and he also serves as chair of our membership and advocacy committees, in addition to sitting on several other chamber committees. Jim is co-owner of his family’s business, King’s Landscaping, which he has been working for since he was in middle school. He is a lifelong resident of the Oil City area, having graduated from Saint Stephen Elementary School and Venango Catholic High School. From there, Jim went on to study biology and pre-med at Gannon University.

“It only took me one semester to realize that I missed the landscaping industry and wouldn’t be happy with the career path I was headed down,” said Jim.

He then transferred to Clarion University and earned a bachelor’s degree in business administration with a special concentration in management. Jim continued to work at King’s throughout school, moving toward the office and beginning to take on more managerial duties. Now Jim handles the business’ accounting as well as some sales and project management. He co-owns the business along with his mother and uncle.

Jim loves living and working in the Venango region. He takes full advantage of the outdoor recreation activities available in our area. He loves spending time outdoors, especially with his wife, Elizabeth, and their son, Sebastian.

“I enjoy doing anything that involves being outdoors, but my preferred hobby is smallmouth bass fishing on the incredible Allegheny River,” said Jim. “I greatly look forward to the day that I will be able to pass down my love of Venango County and its vast outdoor recreation opportunities to Sebastian.”

In addition to access to the outdoors, Jim also enjoys many other aspects of living in the Venango region.

“I like the small-town feel,” he said. “Everyone knows your name, your neighbors look out for your property, and there’s the safety factor. However, when you need a major airport or want to see a major play or sporting event, that is all available to us in just a short drive by interstate.”

Jim sees a bright future for the Venango region and intends to continue his hard work on our board to ensure that the area continues to grow and thrive.

“I envision a well-rounded, culturally diverse community that attracts talented people from all walks of life,” said Jim. “Manufacturing employees, engineers, tech consultants, and many others are attracted to Venango County by the companies both large and small that call this area home, and they stay for our small-town atmosphere and world-renowned outdoor recreation opportunities.”

This article was published in the Venango Area Chamber of Commerce’s February 2018 edition of the VenangoWorks! Newsletter.