He's the quintessential Type-A personality, an energetic whirling dervish with dimples and a positive disposition that flavors all involvements -- and they are legion. This hyper, high-profile civic worker bee belongs to more than a dozen boards and has his fingers firmly plunged in all sorts of volunteer pies, everything from his role as standard bearer at the Greenbrier Classic (they crowned him Volunteer of the Year in 2014) to effervescent emcee at Charleston's Live on the Levee concerts.
All this volunteerism earned him national attention. On his lapel, he proudly wears the Jefferson Award pin presented to him last year in Washington, D.C.
With co-author Chuck Stump, he turns out highly successful children's books about developing a positive attitude. He's the pro on that.
But Jim Strawn does have his quiet, serious side. Longtime marketing and community relations director at Highland Hospital, he started in the mental health field as a physical education teacher for profoundly mentally retarded teenagers and adults at Shawnee Hills. Through those clients, he learned patience.
He rose to Shawnee Hills public relations chief and eventually approached Highland with a marketing plan they couldn't refuse. This epitome of contagious vim and vigor doesn't take no for an answer.
Approaching his 55th birthday next month, he's looking forward to retiring in 11 years -- with characteristic eagerness, of course.
"My father is from just outside Wheeling. I lived there on a big farm the first couple years of my life. My father was a trucker and worked in the coalfields. He was a roughneck, a farm boy with an eighth grade education still making his way today driving his own tractor-trailer. He hauls concerts for Stage Call out of Los Angeles. Famous people. He's out with Hank Williams Jr. right now.
"When I was 10, we moved to Big Chimney, Coopers Creek. My mom still lives there. We have 29 acres.
"My childhood was very much carefree and fun-filled. I had a pretty slice of Americana boyhood.
"After 33 years of marriage, my father and mother got a divorce. My dad lives in White Sulphur Springs.
"I wish I could borrow this energy and sell it. I have a zest for life, a lot of adventurous streaks in me. I was ADHD before it was chic to be ADHD. I'm fortunate that I didn't have to take any Ritalin or Adderall when I was growing up. Now I would probably have been medicated so I could focus a little more. I was incredibly ADHD. I just got up and started jumping and moving and going, always on a bike, hiking, running around.
"I played Little League baseball. My coach told my mom, 'Jimmy is a great player, I just have to teach him to quit playing every position.' I would be shortstop and run to right field to get the ball.
"I was the first person in my family to go to college. I met a gentleman named Sam who was like my big brother, eight years older. He was a new teacher just out of West Virginia Wesleyan College. He asked if I wanted to help him volunteer on the Big Chimney elementary playground. I loved it. I was 15. I loved athletics and camping and physical education and playing games, so that was a good role for my first volunteer job. He took me up to Wesleyan as a junior in high school. Jay Rockefeller had just been president there. He built a new phys ed complex. I fell in love with the phys ed complex. So I went to Wesleyan as a phys ed major.
"I am still certified to coach and teach kindergarten through 12th grade. I only did some substituting in '83 and '84. I got a full-time job through the county board of education working at Shawnee Hills with severely, profoundly mentally retarded teenagers and adults. They asked if I took the job if I would go back and get a master's degree in mental retardation. So in '85, I started at the West Virginia College of Graduate Studies.
"I started a program at Shawnee Hills called Project Active to get all the children totally involved in exercising. I modified it so I could work with severely and profoundly mentally retarded adults. We were getting them out of institutions and working with them in a day program, modified phys ed, really, so I was implementing both of my backgrounds, physical education and teaching and special education as a phys ed teacher with client at Shawnee Hills.
"I didn't think I was very patient because I'm so ADHD. They don't realize how much they helped me, because I gained patience over time. In '88, the asked me to be program director, the youngest program director to work n a program like this in the nation. I was 28.
"I was there 12 years, until 1996. At the end of my tenure, I was the community relations public relations guy for Shawnee Hills talking about who we are and what we do, so by osmosis, I kind of got involved in the community.
"One of the springboards of all the community work I enjoy now came in June of '95. I was instrumental in putting on the Children First Family Expo at the Civic Center. I brought in Suzanne Somers. She was the product of an alcoholic father. It was a big day. I brought in Mr. McFeely from "Mr. Rogers' Neighborhood" and football pro Carl Lee. It was free to everybody. It was about how important it is to be a strong family.
"A year later, things changed at Shawnee Hills. I went over to WCHS-TV selling commercials. I made more money than I'd ever made in my life, but I didn't care for it. I knew enough about clinical depression to know that I was. I would wake up every day in tears. I spent a lot of that year doing well for the company but I wasn't doing well emotionally.
"In '96, I wrote a job description and marketing plan. I knew a lot about marketing and public relations working at Shawnee Hills and I had been selling it working for television and knew a lot about advertising. At age 36, I took my plan to the CEO of Highland Hospital, Dave McWatters. I told him he needed me. I created the job I have 19 years ago. I haven't worked for 19 years, I enjoy it so much.
"I serve on 13 to 15 boards -- the Health Department, Wellness Council, Leadership West Virginia, March of Dimes, Children's Therapy Clinic, Charleston Ballet.
"This is the 12th season for live on the Levee. About seven years ago, the father of Live on the Levee, Tom Lane, told David Molgaard he wanted to do something to make Friday nights in Charleston more vibrant. It was a very humble beginning. The canopy wasn't there. No stage. A pickup truck would haul a trailer down there and band guys would get on the trailer and play to literally about 25 people and the stage would drive away. Tom and David emceed. Then Tom saw me and when I was emceeing some event and asked if I would emcee Live on the Levee. He didn't have to ask twice.
"I asked if they had meetings. He said no. Live on Levee comes out of city manager's office. I got everybody together that I thought were involved. They didn't have a budget. The city just subsidized it. So I put together a sponsorship package. We got $26,000. The title sponsorship was for $20,000 and no one bid on it. David wanted us to lower it. I said no, because it was an incredible value for someone.
"The second year, I got a call from Suzanne Moses. She said she was sitting with her mom and dad and they were looking at the title sponsorship. I went right over.
"It has been a great marriage for them. My goal has always been $100,000 in sponsorships. We passed that this year. It allows us to pay some of our musicians a little more and to get regional and national acts. We don't want national acts every week. We like to showcase our West Virginia talent.
"Some nights there are 8,000 to 15,000 people. Tom's vision 12 years ago saw that. Hotels are full and local establishments are getting people in and all the food vendors are happy. Yes, we lost the Regatta, but we have a little slice of it on Fridays at Live on the Levee.
"I just completed my 30th year with the Corporate Cup for the YMCA. I've done all 30 of those. Last year, I was the volunteer of the year at the Greenbrier Classic. I'm the standard bearer. I walk with the golfers with a scoreboard, me, the electronic scorer and the caddies. So I am right with them. They are very cordial, and then they go to work, and you don't say another word the rest of the day.
"I feel blessed to have experienced the things I have experienced. My energy and my passion for giving back has taken me a lot of places. I love Charleston. It's my favorite city.
"I have 11 years and two months to work. I plan to retire to Key Largo, but I will keep this house.
"As coauthor with Chuck Stump, I write the Sad Glad books. We have four out now. The books are about the anatomy of your attitude, motivational books for children to teach them how to have a positive attitude. A positive attitude will take your far. I'm a prime example.
We use body idioms to get our point across. Put your best foot forward. Lend a helping hand. Have a heart of gold. Keep your nose clean. Bite your tongue. Keep a stiff upper lip. Use elbow grease. They've all won national and international awards.
"Colonel Sanders is one of my inspirations. He started when he was 66. When I retire at 66, I want to speak around the region and nation and spread the Sad Glad message and sell the books. We would ultimately like to have a Sad Glad Foundation and give back to children's organizations in West Virginia. That's a wonderful dream that is realistic as well. We just have to work.
"I take incredible care of myself. I walk a lot and drink 100 ounces of water a day an stretch every day but I think a positive outlook in life on life helps me with my physical well being.
"I became completely complete when I reconnected with my college sweetheart. Lisa and I met when she was 20 and went our separate ways. We reconnected on Facebook 25 years later and got married in six months later. She's my rock."
Reach Sandy Wells at 304-348-5173 or sandyw@wvgazette.com,