Jim Reynolds worked for Northbrook Public Works for 40 years, the last 30 as director. He followed that with five years at FEMA. About six years ago, he moved to Arizona where he and his wife Kally team up to protect kids as court appointed special advocates. He still walks five miles a day near a golf course, picking up stray balls. “I have gifted 641 dozen,” he said. He ran the music at Northbrook Days for years, and wound up friends with a lot of musicians — and Northbrookers.
Q: Where did you grow up?
A: I was born in Chicago, (near) Lincoln and Damen, then Albany Park, moved to Palatine and graduated from eighth grade in Palatine.
Q: As a child, what did you want to be when you grew up?
A: I had a mentor who was a Chicago policeman. He’d take me everywhere, down to where he worked, for Polish sausage on Maxwell Street, Bears games. So I wanted to get into law enforcement.
Q: What was your first job?
A: I delivered papers for the North Center News, then I graduated to the Daily News. In high school, I worked for a Greek supper club called Speros. It was popular with the jockeys and owners from Arlington Park.
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Q: Do you play any musical instruments?
I don’t, but I sing. I’ve had over 600,000 plays on SoundCloud (led by) 50,000 plays for a cover of Red Sovine’s “Teddy Bear.”
Q: Do you have any pet peeves?
I have less and less tolerance on the internet, especially on Facebook, for dyed-in-the-wool Trump supporters, and every bizarre, mean-spirited thing he does, they just ignore, or call it fake news.
Q: What’s your favorite charity?
A: We give to many charities. One of the neat things about Arizona: they give you dollar-for-dollar offsets on taxes for donations (to many in-state charities). Not off your income, off your taxes.
Q: Tell me something about yourself that most people don’t know.
A: People in Illinois don’t know I serve on the boards, both as vice-chair, of Boyce Thompson Arboretum State Park, and the Superstition Mountain Facilities District.
Q: Words of wisdom?
A: Just show a little kindness. Smile and be patient. Listen. Don’t find reasons to deny or obstruct. Find a creative way to help.