Jim Buell

From volunteering on the fire department, to coaching soccer for Shelburne Parks and Recreation, Jim Buell is an active member of the Shelburne community. Jim organizes an important activity at Champlain Valley Union High School (CVU) each year: the mock crash and trial. This year the mock trial for juniors and seniors will take place in the auditorium at CVU on Thursday, May 6 at 8:15 a.m. and again at 10 a.m. The program is sponsored by Connecting Youth (CY) and its goal is to raise awareness about the consequences that can occur if a person chooses to drive impaired.

Family: Jim and his wife, Sally, have been married for 27 years. They have one child, a daughter, Kara, who is 15. Jim grew up in the Hudson Valley. His parents still live there and also spend some time in Florida. Jim has one sibling, a sister.

Education and career: Jim attended State University of N.Y. Fredonia and received his undergraduate degree in business administration, economics, and finance. After graduating from college, he began working as an internal auditor for Irving Bank Corporation. After he finished this job he began working as a loan officer for the IBM Poughkeepsie Employees Federal Credit Union. While working for IBM he also studied at night to gain his MBA from Western Connecticut State University. Ten years ago IBM moved Jim and his family to Vermont and the family settled in Shelburne. After 23 years, Jim completed his time at IBM and began working for UVM as the finance manager for the College of Medicine. There his responsibilities include managing budgets, endowments, investments, tuition rates, et cetera. Jim has held this position for seven years and has enjoyed it very much.

Volunteer work: In total, Jim has been a volunteer fireman for 34 years. In New York, Jim was the Deputy Fire Coordinator for fire prevention and public education in Duchess County; in Shelburne, he has volunteered for the past 10 years. Jim is the Captain of the Shelburne Fire Department and coordinates a great deal of safety education in Shelburne schools. Additionally, for the past eight years he has worked with Champlain Valley Union High School (CVU) to coordinate a mock crash for the juniors and seniors. Since 2008, he put together a mock trial, which will now be an alternating program with the crash. One year the students will see a mock crash and the next year they will see a trial, which helps make the students aware of the consequences of a decision to drink and drive. The program is now beginning to spread to other area high schools, such as South Burlington, and next year Jim will work with Rice and Burlington High School.

Jim also has coached soccer for the Shelburne Parks and Recreation Department. His coaching followed his daughter's interest in the sport, and last fall was the first year he did not coach.

Favorite Food: Italian

Hobbies: Downhill skiing, traveling, riding his bike, and civil war reenactments with Second Vermont, a group that is part of the Champlain Valley Historical Reenactors organization

Pets: A six-pound Maltese named Marbles

Music: Rock n' roll

Movie: Historical

First Concert: Billy Joel

Bucket List: To continue to travel