| Jim Anthony Building
Together
By Amy Nelson
Jim Anthony, president of Anthony &
Co., a Raleigh-based commercial real estate firm, has a
lot to be happy about: a successful business, a family and
plenty of activities. Yet, one has the impression that Jim
needs something more in his life-he sincerely wants to make
a difference in other people's lives.
Jim, 42, is a native of Greenville, SC. He moved to Raleigh
from Los Angeles in 1983. In addition to the challenge of
running a company, Jim enjoys singing, playing the guitar,
reading and writing short stories, non-fiction, poetry and
music. He also stays in shape by participating in a variety
of sports.
As president of Anthony & Co., Jim clearly gains fulfillment
by meeting his clients' needs and keeping them satisfied.
"I enjoy relating to a lot of different people,"
he says, "on a lot of different types of projects,
which run the gamut from financial analysis to legal work
to marketing...It's a career that requires a lot of vision."
Being president of a thriving company doesn't keep Jim from
taking time to volunteer in the community. Currently, he
is working with an urban community development ministry
called Building Together, which is headquartered on North
Blount Street in Raleigh.
"The goal of Building Together is to restore some life
to a very broken part of Raleigh," Jim relates. "We
accomplish this through bringing relationships and resources
together, by partnering the people who have resources with
those who are in need of them."
Jim has been involved with Building Together since it was
founded in 1990. He has contributed to, helped raise money
for and been chair of the housing committee, which explores
redevelopment and investment opportunities to provide alternatives
for people who are confined to public housing.
Jim's involvement with Building Together began with a friendship
with the founders of the group. "My wife and I were
really attracted to them personally, and the vision they
had for their lives and their work," he relates. "We
felt called to work with them."
Building Together has developed many exciting programs to
help reach its goals. Among them are its annual racial reconcilation
workshop. This program is a three-day seminar which features
nationally-recognized leaders as speakers.
"Another aspect of the organization which I'm very
excited about is the personal vision of a man named Chris
Mangum of C.C. Mangum," Jim says. "It's called
the 'Jobs Partnership.' This vision grew out of the life
and ministry of a man named Dr. John Perkins, who said that
the best welfare program is a job. That started Chris and
a few other people thinking, 'How can we get jobs into the
hands of the people who need them the most?' "So they
formed the Jobs Partnership. Here's how it works: Black
church pastors and largely white businessmen partner to
bring jobs to a forum in which the pastors can link their
members who are looking for work with those jobs."
According to Jim, the Jobs Partnership is working. A number
of businesses and employees have been successfully linked,
and, as Jim puts it, "It is so much more effective
than somebody sitting at home getting an unemployment check."
Amy Nelson is assistant
editor of Business Leader.
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