How much do you know about Dunwoody Rotarian Jim Riticher? Most of us know he is one the Dunwoody City Council - and some of us know he's helped coordinate our efforts with Junior Achievement at BizTown and JA Finance Park. But, can you answer this multiple choice question: In Jim's early life, which of the following is NOT true - Jim was  a) Born in Germany? b) Raced motorcycles? c) Moved gold at Fort Knox? If you saw Jim's Member Moment presentation, you'll know this is a trick question; they’re all true!

The son of a career Army officer and Army wife, Jim was born in a Stuttgart exurb. This was the Cold War, and the USA had ~1/4 million men supporting NATO in West Germany facing down Soviet tank armies across the Fulda Gap, the invasion route from East Germany. Jim grew up in/around a succession of Army bases, mostly in the Southeast – including Columbus/Fort Benning, Fort Rucker Alabama, and Northern Virginia outside DC when his dad was stationed at the Pentagon.

Jim's teen years in/around Fort Knox KY, at the time the home of Armor, so a backdrop to his life was the sound of 105mm tank main gun fire in the distance at the ranges. Jim and his dad got into dirt bikes, and Jim got into racing motocross and was junior mechanic at a Suzuki-Honda shop for his after school and summer job.

The summer after graduating from HS, Jim got a temporary job moving gold at the Treasury’s Bullion Depository, which lasted three weeks. They moved ~47,000 ingots, about the size of a construction brick, but weighing ~27 pounds in support of an annual joint Treasury/GAO audit that had just started up a couple years before.

That fall, Jim moved to Atlanta to attend GA Tech as a co-op mechanical engineering major, obtaining BME and MSME degrees. During Christmas break in his senior year at Tech, he ran into Carolyn Crowe, who he’d known in high school at the Fort Knox Officer’s Club. Thy had have never dated then, but after four years, things had changed. It was sort of love at 2nd sight. They dated for a year, were engaged on their one-year anniversary, and were married in June of ’83.

Jim and Carolyn  bought their first house in Dunwoody, on Coldstream Dr., that December. Their son Ray was born a few years later.

After graduating, Jim had a first career in the consulting engineering business. I was a mechanical professional engineer, designing offices, call centers, and data centers around the SE. IBM real estate was one of his biggest clients. Jim was part owner of a 45-person MEP (mechanical/electrical/plumbing) design firm. In the late 90s, he  had the opportunity to make a career shift into IT, and worked for GE Capital IT solutions, some dot coms / dot bombs, and tech consultancies.

Eight years ago, Jim decided to run for city council, and was successful. So now, as he likes to say, he's m semi-retired, but dabbles in local government.

When Fred Brandt approached Jim about joining Rotary, he started to come to DWY Rotary meetings. Carolyn and Jim had been very involved with the Georgia Transplant Foundation for many years a- learning of them after Carolyn’s kidney transplant 22 years ago. Fred’s timing was good, and Jim got involved with Rotary.

On a personal note, Jim is sort of the designated foodie on council, can cook reasonably well and can make restaurant recommendations. He used to play a lot of ALTA tennis, but gave it up after serial bouts with tennis elbow. He is also a serious DIYer. Most recently he installed a 100’ of string lights on his deck (a project that turned out really well), and is working on some maintenance items on a 19 year old Dragon Red Vespa scooter he was given last year. It’s great for trips to E. 48th Street to pick up sandwiches, and Charlie and the crew at E. 48th Street love seeing it out front.

Jim's term in office as council member is up this year, and while he hasn't formally announced, he will likely run for re-election. You’ll be hearing more on that soon!