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Rotary Club of Vienna, Virginia USA
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Member-James
(Jim) F. Purdon
Retired-Investments
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James Purdon, Leader
Extraordinaire
“The sun rises and sets on my daughter, Emily,” Jim Purdon announced.
Eleven years old, Emily attends the
Nysmith
School
, a well known private school for the gifted and talented, and plays
on a travel soccer team. In the next breath, he speaks with pride about
his older daughter and son. His oldest daughter Kim,
is a Captain in the Air Force and a Weapons Systems Officer on a B-1 Bomber.
She was in
Afghanistan
and in
Iraq
during the “shock and awe” campaign. His
son, James, is the manager of a fine restaurant in
Lexington
,
KY.
Jim’s
wife, Jeannie is a 30 year employee of the CIA.
She is currently the Program Manager of one of the study centers for the
Director of Central Intelligence.
The words “gifted and talented” are words we should also use to
describe Jim, and when considering his lifetime full of amazing and
distinguished career accomplishments, we should use words like “extraordinary
and remarkable.” Those who know
him best would speak of his dedication, kindness, humor, and good will.
It’s impossible to summarize his accomplishments in the space provided,
so a few highlights will have to suffice. In
the Air Force he was known as Colonel James F. Purdon, Branch Chief in the
Office of the Secretary of Defense. In
April, 1991, he was the first head of the then newly created Iraqi Sanctions
Monitoring Task Force; in this
capacity, he headed a team of intelligence analysts who supported the United
Nations effort to ensure the destruction of the Iraqi weapons of mass
destruction.
Prior to that assignment, Jim was Director of Emergency Planning, White
House Situation Support Staff, National Security Council Staff, in DC.
He was responsible for staffing national level policy decision making
concerning survival of the Office of the Presidency and continuity of government
of the
United States
. Jim
was at the White House during the last year of the Regan administration and the
first year of Bush’s administration. He
was also involved with negotiations with the former
Soviet Union
and Warsaw Pact Nations.
Not one to rest on his laurels, Jim is now in a different career field as
a financial advisor and retirement planning specialist with Morgan Stanley Dean
Witter, Inc. Jim's activities,
in addition to volunteer and charitable activities, include sport shooting
and
U.S.
stamp collecting. One
would think that he has something in common with the energizer bunny . . . he
just keeps going.
Jim joined the Vienna Rotary Club primarily because of Charlie
Robinson’s welcome when Jim first visited the club.
He has served in many positions and currently serves as the Director of
the Vienna Scholarship Chair for District 7610.
Our club is most fortunate to have him as a member!
Thanks, Jim, for all you do!
