|
Jim Horstmann was born in Davenport, Iowa, and was raised in Calamus. His father made a living owning and operating a service station, and his mother was a school teacher in their small town of 400 people. His grade school was small as well, with grades K-12 all located in the same building. Getting an early start on leadership, he became class president in 7th grade. In high school, Jim got involved in athletics and played a lot of baseball.
Jim attended Augustana College, which is where he met his wife, Carol. He played baseball for a year there, but quit the team to join choir and go on tour with them. The choice ended up being a good one, and he and the choir ended up singing on the Ed Sullivan Show on March 27, 1955. Both Jim and Carol graduated from Augustana that year with degrees in accounting and business. Jim became a public accountant for six years at Arthur Andersen & Co., and was enlisted in the navy for two years. Carol was a tutor at a medium security prison, and also worked as an administrative assistant at a law firm. They then lived in Madison, WI, for 17 years, where Jim was the chief financial officer for Harry S. Manchester Inc., and later, H.C. Prange Co. in Sheboygan. In the midst of their thriving careers, Jim and Carol gave birth to three beautiful children: a boy and two girls.
In 1983, the couple moved to the Quad Cities. Jim then became the vice president of development and planned giving at Augustana. He worked full-time for 15 years, part-time for five years, and retired in 2003. Jim and Carol’s son is currently 48, and lives in Houston working as a geologist in the energy business. One of their daughters is a CPA in Edina, MN, and married to a doctor. Their other daughter lives in Cincinatti, OH, and works for Procter & Gamble. They have six grandchildren.
Jim has always been very involved in the Quad-City community. Two of his favorite charities include Alternatives for the Older Adult, on whose board he has served for the past seven years, and the Boys and Girls Clubs of Mississippi Valley. He is also a previous chairman of the Community Foundation board, vice president of the Marriage and Family Counseling board, vice chair of Trinity Visiting Nurses board, and director of Junior Achievement’s Free Enterprise Foundation, the Quad City Health Initiative, the Quad City Symphony, the Augustana Historical Society and the Trinity Lutheran Church Endowment.
Other positions he has held include president of the Villa Montessori School board, Friendship Manor, the German American Heritage Center, the American Heart Association and the Robert Young Center. He has also offered his services over the years to the American Cancer Society, Franciscan Health Center, Rock Island Kiwanis, the Putnam and Figge art museums, and the Quad City Botanical Center.
Jim’s hobbies, when he’s not hard at work with his community involvement, include volunteering, tennis, traveling, and spectator sports. He still sings when he has the chance, and one of his old favorite songs is “Shall We Go Together By the River.” Most importantly, he values the company of good people, close relationships and of course, baseball. Carol loves to read, and belongs to several book review clubs.
Jim and Carol direct their philanthropic efforts toward places that are facing major challenges, or where there are significant community needs. They also prefer offering assistance to Christian organizations that spread a Godly influence throughout the area. The Horstmanns have chosen to work through the Community Foundation not only because they believe it is the most efficient and effective way to reach out to the community, but also because they enjoy the people they work with.
|
