Volunteer Leaders: Jim Eichhorn

Jones County Community Foundation Board

• Hometown: Wyoming, IA
• Education: Iowa State University
• Career: Retired after 40+ years at Citizens State Bank, Wyoming

Tell us about yourself!

I have always lived in Wyoming, either at the farm or in town. When you live in a small town for as long as I have, you see some interesting things. For example, during my career, I witnessed the first bank robbery in Jones County. 

Family and service are two of the most important parts of my life. My daughter Andrea lives in Tinley Park, IL and my daughter Erica lives in the Kansas City, MO, suburbs. They have six active kids, 4-17 years of age. I served over 50 years on the Wyoming Fair Board, and belong to the Wyoming Lions, Wyoming Area Betterment, and Wyoming Historical Museum Commission. My hobbies and interests include photography, model trains, old guns, horse drawn vehicles, and morel mushrooms. I also have the unenviable position of editor, publisher, and cub reporter for the Wyoming Lions Community newsletter.

What inspires you to serve on the Foundation board?

This is an opportunity to work with a totally different group of people doing totally great things to benefit very diverse organizations, also made up of volunteers. The Foundation has grown from a granting organization to one that actively promotes reading in youngsters and better vision for better learning.

Nonprofits make Foundation grants count. The Foundation has made grants of all kinds and all amounts, but the one that made me think was one of the smaller ones. The Cascade FFA applied for funds to buy a riding lawn mower which they would use in a fund-raising project mowing cemeteries. They were using the grant to earn their own funds and be self-supporting.