James M. Richmond

Jim Richmond is an author and newspaper columnist. He was a vice president of the W. K. Kellogg Foundation, and president of the Frey Foundation and Battle Creek Community Foundation. As a foundation executive, Richmond helped develop and implement nationally recognized programs in economic development, urban art, business and civic leadership, and sustainable growth. Richmond authored a pioneering work TAKING CARE OF CIVIC BUSINESS, a book which profiled various business leadership group models in U.S. cities, including those in Cleveland, Kansas City and Des Moines. The project and book were underwritten by the Frey, Kellogg and George Gund foundations. Many of the publications developed from Richmond's foundation initiatives are still available through the Council of Michigan Foundations. Some of his 180 published newspaper columns also appear in the publication: AGAINST THE GRAIN, Profiles of People Who Dared To Make A Difference.http://198.108.150.14:8080/ipac20/ipac.jsp?session=1193R06299NK6.14464&profile=wil&uri=link=1100003@!S365845@!1100001@!1100002&aspect=basic&menu=search&ri=1&source=198.108.150.14@!wil&term=Richmond%2C+James+M.&index=AA#focus The columns focused on qualities of civic leadership. AGAINST THE GRAIN has been used in a number of urban school districts, along with specially developed lesson plans, as part of high school level civics classes. He has also published blogs on topics ranging from Scientology to emerging trends in modern day China, where he lived for three years. Richmond's blogsite is: http://ragstorichmond.blogspirit.com

An online archive of Richmond’s newspaper columns is available at: http://www.battlecreekenquirer.com/news/extra/bciq.html. primarysources|date=August 2007