Jim Perry - Royal Oak

James (Jim) T. Perry began his professional career as a Recreation Instructor in the Detroit Parks and Recreation Department and was immediately recognized by his colleagues for his supervisory and management prowess. He then became Program Supervisor, City of Oak Park; Director of Recreation and Adult Education, Shorewood School District, Wisconsin; Director of Parks, Recreation and Forestry, City of Oak Park; and in consecutive years, Director of Parks and Recreation and Director of Recreation and Public Services, City of Royal Oak, MI. His professional legacy spanned a period of 40 years.

Jim received his undergraduate degree (graduating with honors), Michigan State University; Masters Degree, Wayne State University and the Revenue Sources Management School Certification, North Carolina State University. In addition, he taught graduate school for six years at Wayne State University "Performance Budgeting for Park and Recreation Services" and "Supervision."

Jim's enthusiasm for his chosen profession can easily be identified in the myriad of ways he served our professional organizations including MRPA: President, Board member (2 years), chair and member of several committees, awards, public relations, summer and winter conferences, legislation and certification, NRPA: Revenue Sources Management School - Board of Regents, Great Lakes Council, Northwest Park and Recreation Association: President, Vice Chair, Secretary.

In addition, establishing cooperative relationships with other agencies for the common good was another hallmark of his professional career including; Royal Oak Salvation Army Advisory Council, Chair, Vice-Chair, Program Committee Chair, and Lake Oakland Estates Association: President and Vice President.

Jim demonstrated his working and speaking skills with articles, such as; Recreation Magazine, Oak Park, MI "Community Planning for Joint Development of City School Sites", American City Magazine "Community Pride in Winning National Gold Medal Award", and Park and Recreation Magazine "Lease-Rental Agreements-A Way to Provide Special Facilities (at no expense to the taxpayers)", and major presentations including National Recreation Congress "School Districts and Recreation Services” and Governor's Labor Management Conferences "Royal Oak-Workings of a Joint Labor/Management Committee."

He received numerous awards for the outstanding service he provided to our profession and professional organizations which include the national Gold Medal Award for outstanding Park and Recreation Management (Oak Park was the first Michigan city to receive award - 1973), MRPA-Fellowship Award, American Society for Public Administration-Detroit Metropolitan Chapter-Career Public Service Award, State of Michigan-Project Independence Award; and Michigan Municipal League-Municipal Achievement Award (1st place).

Keys to the success of Jim's major accomplishments were his use of innovative strategies, his positive perseverance when interacting with other persons and organizations and recognition of his integrity by his peers. These major accomplishments included: incorporation of the Village of Shorewood's Beach operation and Senior Citizen programs into the Shorewood School District, WI; under a lease/rental agreement with a private entrepreneur developed the first indoor tennis club on public land in metro-Detroit (Oak Park); in an agreement with the School District the City (Royal Oak) provided an undeveloped portion of park land adjacent to middle school, in return school district paid for development of a soccer field, tennis courts, a playground and tot-lot; established a foundation to receive gifts for recreation and park facility development, equipment purchases and recreation programming; in partnership with the National Labor Relations Board, the UAW/GM Human Resource Center and Local 270M of Service Employees International. The Royal Oak Department of Recreation and Public Service was the only municipal agency in Michigan to participate in a "National Quality of Work Life Study." As a result of the study a Quality for Work Life program was developed for municipal agencies. The Royal Oak Department of Recreation and Public Service became a model for the National Relations Board.

James T. Perry exemplifies the kind of person the hall of fame was created to honor, a dedicated family man and citizen as well as a successful and respected leader, in the communities he served and in our association.