Meet Jim Wallace

-By Molly Bash, Manager of Corporate Communications-

I scheduled a meeting with Jim Wallace, a senior analyst at Allonhill, telling him “we’ve decided to begin profiling one interesting employee each month for the blog.  We’d like the first profile to be of you.”  Jim accepted my meeting invite without any questions, a testament to his laid-back, go-with-the-flow demeanor.

Jim grew up in Lombard, IL, a suburb of Chicago.  When he was young he played every sport he could, hoping to become a professional athlete (of any sport, he didn’t care which).  After high school he went on to play football at Miami of Ohio where he graduated with a Marketing degree.  After college he got his master’s degree in Marketing from Loyola University in Chicago.  Jim is married, with one son and two daughters, and lives in Evergreen, CO.   Though he never became a professional athlete, his enthusiasm for sports has stayed with him.  He has embraced Colorado’s outdoor activities wholeheartedly and is an avid skier and golfer.  Jim also enjoys painting (see below for a photo of one of his pieces).



Jim spent the majority of his time in the mortgage industry in wholesale sales and experienced, first hand, the implosion of the market.  He remembers starting a new job as a wholesale account representative in 2007 and was scheduled to attend training at the Company’s corporate headquarters.  By the time he got off the plane he had a voicemail telling him the company had closed its doors. 

In the spring of 2009, Jim was running a commercial brokerage firm, which he had founded with a partner in 2007, from his home in Evergreen.  He saw an online posting for contractor positions (the only positions Allonhill was hiring for at the time) and was attracted to it because he thought the flexible contractor hours would allow him to continue managing his commercial business.  Jim never ended up working from home.  He was brought into the office - our old location, where he remembers mistaking our President, Diana Mead, for the receptionist - to perform a transactional review and has worked on-site ever since. 

At Allonhill’s most recent staff meeting, Jim was awarded a Crystal Cube- Allonhill’s way of recognizing employees who have done an exemplary job.  He was nominated by five of his co-workers for his knowledge, his leadership, his work ethic, and his willingness to answer questions.  Their nomination read: 

Jim played an important leadership role on Mount Elbert.  Jim displayed great knowledge on all aspects of Mount Elbert and was always available to answer a question or help resolve an issue.  Additionally, Jim displayed an exceptional work ethic and will be greatly missed on the Elbert project.

Jim showcases the very best of Allonhill’s employee base- he has a great attitude, doesn’t take himself too seriously, is committed to high-quality work, and is a delight to talk to.

Below are some highlights from my conversation with Jim:

 MB: If you were stranded on a desert island with one movie, one CD, and one other person, who and what would you choose?

JW:  Not Castaway.  I’d choose Caddyshack, Led Zeppelin’s first CD, and my wife.

MB:  What is your funniest/most embarrassing story?

JW:  There are so many, it’s hard to put your finger on just one…probably driving into the garage with my bike on the roof of the car.

MB:  If you could travel anywhere in the world, where would you go and why?

JW:  Italy to eat and look at art and ancient ruins. 

MB:  What is one thing you would like to do that you have never done?

JW:  Drive a Formula 1 car around a racetrack.  Not any racecar, it would have to be a Formula 1 car.

MB:  What gift would you most like to give to the world, if you could do or give one thing, and it could be anything?

JW:  Unlimited food.  Of course everyone is going to say ‘world peace,’ but that’s too easy.  If anyone says that you need to just say no.