Jim Peters Mayor of Adel
(Republished from the July 2011 Newsletter)
A significant part of any community is it’s leadership. For over twenty years, Jim Peters has served Adel as councilman and Mayor.
We got a chance to visit with him and hear about his love for the community and his drive to remember ADM Alumni who gave their all.
With his trademark salt and pepper ponytail, suit and bow tie, he fits the image of a Mayor who has the community’s best interest at heart. Jim is quick to give an ear as he listens attentively to every side of an issue.
Jim is the third member of his family to have the name James Peters, his grandfather, also named James, was the mayor of Perry.
As a child, his parents moved to Adel to run a local drive-in. His first friend upon moving to Adel was Van Harden, who lived across the street.
It’s a friendship that continues to this day. Jim presented the honorary “Keys to the City” to Van at Van’s 59th birthday party as Van broadcast his “Van & Bonnie Show” from the ADM High School.
During school one of his mentors, coach Stan Norenberg, inspired Jim to give his all.
Upon graduation in the seventies, Jim enlisted in the Navy during the Viet Nam conflict. He lived in L.A. with relatives while he was stationed there. It was an opportunity to see life in many different parts of the world.
After the Navy, he worked in Chicago where he met his wife Pam. In the early 80’s they moved with Grant their son, back to Adel. Pam had fallen in love with the community as much as Jim had.
His interest in community affairs prompted him to take a seat on the City Council. A few years later he was elected Mayor. If you’ve ever attended a council meeting, you’re aware that emotions can run high as issues are discussed.
One of his first duties as Mayor was to institute rules of conduct during the meeting. This code has served him well as he listens to each side of an issue. Sometimes tough decisions are made, but he still follows up with both sides.
Jim works days at Wells Fargo, a job that brings him back to Adel several times a week. He’s also a founding member of the ADM Alumni Association where he serves as Treasurer.
As a self appointed advocate of Adel, Jim still remembers every house he lived in and every one of his class mates. Ask him about former alumni accomplishments and you’ll need to pull up a chair.
In August Jim can be found presenting awards to the ADM Alumni Inductees. The next day you’ll find him at the Annual Sweet Corn Festival and the Alumni Golf tournament.
The annual “All Class Reunion” is one of those events he looks forward to all year so that he can reconnect with fellow classmates.
Jim Peter with the KIA Memorial at the Adel High School.
Having served during Viet Nam, Jim felt a duty to honor those ADM alumni that gave their all during that conflict. When he presented the idea, it naturally developed into also remembering those who had been Killed in Action during World War II and the Korean Conflict.
During his research he visited the families of the eight men who had fallen while serving. He assembled photos, clippings and family information into a KIA memorial to honor them.
Each soldier has a large 2′ x 3′ display. That memorial is located in the front lobby of the ADM High School. A special service was held to honor Adel’s heroes. The service brought former servicemen who traveled from across the nation to Adel to honor those they had served with.
He considers it one of his greatest honors to remember those young men.
