- After a career of serving as an Officer and Optometrist in the U.S. Navy, the opportunity to join Medan on its inaugural trip to Ethiopia in April of 2023 turned out to be a life-changing experience for Jim. Throughout this trip he experienced first-hand the positive impact of Medan’s work. After this experience, he was eager to invest more of his time and energy into this incredible organization. He is both humbled and honored to serve on the board of directors. Jim enjoys spending time with his awesome family — his wife Beth, son Sam, and daughter Josie. He loves to travel and explore new areas, and especially enjoys hiking and being out in nature. He is also a sports nut and can be found watching and playing (more watching these days!) football, basketball, and tennis. He is a coffee lover and can’t wait to get his hands on another Ethiopian macchiato sometime soon!