(Provided by Marcia James)
The Wisconsin Marketing Education Association lifetime achievement award recognizes individuals who demonstrate the dedication and commitment to the profession.  In addition, compassion and humanity is at the core of this award with recognizing the hard work that this profession demands while also understanding and focusing on the whole person and not just the teacher is paramount. The students that are influenced by this nominee are held to high standards, while also being cared for and mutually respected.

WMEA developed the lifetime achievement award in honor and recognition of Carol Mooney with the plans of recognizing dedicated leaders within the profession each year.  Dr. James’s former students and current members of WMEA have been invited to witness this virtual event on Wednesday, January 20, at 7 p.m.

James began his teaching career after serving in the Air Force in Vietnam, Korea, and Japan.  He was hired by the Shawnee Mission School District in Kansas City, Kansas, in 1971, to serve as the Marketing Education Coordinator.  In 1974 Kansas honored him with the Outstanding Young Educator’s Award.  After receiving his master’s degree, he enrolled in Northern Illinois University’s doctoral program where he met his wife Marcia and won the Lyle Maxwell Award.  They moved to Whitewater in 1978 and both taught for the College of Business & Economics.  That same year, they won the American Vocational Association’s award for best instructional material for their publication, MICROCOMPUTER APPLICATIONS FOR SMALL BUSINESS. 

While at UW-Whitewater, James was recognized with several service awards for his work on the prairie restoration and for Mini Business World, where he brought local business professionals, business students, and business teachers together for a two-day competitive event.  He also received a service award from the Marketing Education Association for his mini-competition efforts and in 2002 won Wisconsin’s Outstanding Postsecondary Teaching Award.  His Mini Business World project was recognized nationally in 1998 when he won the Leavy Award sponsored by the Freedoms Foundation. 

James (pictured with Marcia in 1986) continues to communicate with his former students and often says that UW-Whitewater was a great place to work! (Photo courtesy of Marcia James)