James (Jim) Marino has been a resident of Winfield for 32 years. It was a small town with a caring atmosphere that drew him Jim to Winfield. One of his earliest memo-ries was at St. John‟s Hall, where it felt as if everyone in Winfield was there and everyone was very friendly.
Jim‟s first involvement with the Village was around 1971, when he was appointed as the liaison to a county workforce com-mittee and he met then Village president, Bob Lee. Jim stated, “Bob was so proud of Winfield and was such a great propo-nent of the Village that it stayed with me until we moved here.”
Moving here in 1979, his first community
involvement was helping operate the Wyncliff Swimming Pool.
In 1982, Jim made it his mission to get a sidewalk for the children that walked to Sandberg School. His goal was to get School District 200, Milton Township, DuPage County, City of Wheaton, and the Village of Winfield to fund this project. The effort was successful and is why a sidewalk runs adjacent to Jewell Road from County Farm Road to Gary Avenue today.
Also, in 1982, Jim organized the Knights of Columbus at St John‟s. The Knights of Columbus is a Catholic Family Fraternity Organization, which currently consists of about 170 families. The Knights do ser-vice projects within Winfield to collect funds for the intellectually disabled. The Knights raise about $5,000 per year with their service projects and then redistrib-utes these funds back into the community. Friends for Therapeutic Equine Activities (FTEA), Parents Alliance, and the Special Olympics are some of the organizations receiving funds.
In 1986, Jim was asked to be a part of the
Village‟s Cable Commission because of his experience with a cable television show. The commission‟s purpose was to set rules and to regulate cable TV service in the Village of Winfield. The commis-sion has since evolved into the Communi-cation & Technology Commission, which Jim chairs.
Jim Marino is an Employment Specialist who works for Parents Alliance Employ-ment Project, an organization devoted to improving the quality of life for people with disabilities through individualized employment services.
Asked why he stays so involved, Jim stated, “Do the best you can and help as many people as you can. Your time can help a lot of people.” He also stated that his “wife is a good support for all that he does.” He has three children whom he is VERY proud of and four grandchildren.
218th Central High School 