05/27/2026
Community member spotlight ✨Jim Smith ✨
With half a century of commercial banking and financial advising behind him, Jim Smith has worked around the country, figured out a way to survive the Savings & Loan crisis of the 80’s, and lived through the mergers of various banks. In fact, in the merger-mad 90’s, Jim sat at the same desk – and at that same desk – worked for four different banks. Now widowed, he even met his wife at the bank.
Sometime, when you engage him in conversation, invite him to tell you some of his bank robbery stories. He has several good ones, all the more interesting because they really happened. If he ever decided to take up writing thrillers, Jim has some bona fide stories to relate.
The thrillers these days come in the form of audio books. His favorite authors are John Sandford, Michael Connelly (both the Bosch and the Lincoln Lawyer series), and Harlan Coben. He never got into Patterson, except for the Alex Cross books. But he does like the Women’s Murder Club books. Jim shares his insights as a member of the Amberlin Mystery Book Club,
After semi-retiring in 1998, Jim and his wife traveled frequently with his wife’s brother, whose timeshare in Hawaii drew them for at least a dozen visits. When their daughter was a student at NAU, they took advantage of her semester abroad to visit her in Germany. There was also a tour of Italy and Spain. But their favorite trip was an Alaskan cruise.
These days you’re most likely to find Jim walking in the neighborhood around Amberlin, where he clocks two or three miles daily. He’s a recovering golfer, having lost his regular foursome, but might be up for shouldering his clubs again. His two daughters and four grandchildren are here in Arizona (Phoenix and Tucson) so they give him lots of joy.
Make sure to ask Jim for some of those banking stories when you see him around!
