Marks honored for lifetime commitment to community
Vernon man earns Community Shares award
Vernon resident Jim Marks had studied to be a priest in the hopes of helping people throughout the world, but ended up leaving the seminary at age 26 to help people locally.
Since then, not a day has gone by where his dedication for helping others has floundered. For his years of dedication to the greater Milwaukee area, Marks was given the 22nd annual Community Shares of Greater Milwaukee's Lifetime Commitment to Justice Award during a ceremony at Potawatomi Bingo Casino on Thursday, Sept. 15.
Marks has been working at the Greater Milwaukee Foundation since 1984. He is currently the Director of Special Projects for the Greater Milwaukee Foundation. His previous title was vice president and director of the grants program for the Greater Milwaukee Foundation. He will retire at the end of December.
According to a news release from Community Shares, "prior to his admirable work at the Foundation, Marks spent 12 years as executive director on the Planning Council for Mental Health and Social Services where he advised Milwaukee County on mental health and developmental disability services."
A short biography of Marks presented during the awards ceremony stated that "Jim Marks' devotion to addressing important community problems and supporting the Greater Milwaukee nonprofit sector establishes him as an indispensable leader of the Milwaukee community. For over 26 years, Mr. Marks has played a crucial part in developing several initiatives and funds at the Greater Milwaukee Foundation, one of the top 30 community foundations in the nation with assets of more than $590 million. Mr. Marks has helped focus the resources of the Greater Milwaukee Foundation by creating the Wisconsin AIDS Fund, Basic Needs Fund, Nonprofit Management Fund and Milwaukee Healthy Neighborhoods Initiative."
"The Lifetime Commitment to Justice Award recognizes an individual who has contributed to social or economic justice, equality and improved quality of life in the Greater Milwaukee community for 12 years or more," said Elysse Wageman of Community Shares.
"I think he just has a philosophy of people that he wants to have social impact, and create a more just world," said Jim's wife, Judy. "It's just sort of in him. He's very humble. He has very little ego."
Marks also volunteers his time and expertise to the boards of the Donors Forum of Wisconsin and Philanthropy for Active Civic Engagement. He also received a lifetime achievement award from the Donors Forum of Wisconsin this year.
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