Meet our first Aging Well Attitude Profile in the person of Jim Gompers. He has traveled the world, built a business and enjoyed being a boat captain and a pilot. In addition to being an adventurer, Jim has been a dedicated community leader. As Chair of the Presbyterian Villages of Michigan Foundation and a former board member for Presbyterian Villages of Michigan (parent organization of Your Aging Well Advisors, Jim’s talents are well known to us. We think he is a perfect choice as our inaugural profile and want to share why he is a great role model for Aging Well Attitude!
How many of us can say that we attended a high performance driving school and then ended up insuring it, attended aerial combat school and ended up owning a plane and piloted trips to visit clients, owned a boat since the age of 9, and was one of eighteen people invited to drive laps in between races at the Grand Prix? Most likely not many of us could say this; but Jim Gompers can. In addition, he has had a day cruise on the USS Michigan, a nuclear sub, and flown an F-16 at Selfridge Air Base. He has never touted all of his feats or bragged in any way. Thus, we only found out about some of his adventures when we sat down to interview him for this profile.
Mr. Gompers stated that he has had many blessings in life and is inspired to give back to others in thanks. And he has done so in many ways. Jim has worked full time until very recently and remains as Chair of the insurance agency which he founded, Gompers, Cornish & Barr. One of the accomplishments for which he is most proud is helping to mentor young professionals and create a vibrant company which has helped to build the careers of others. Personally, he is very proud of his family and has enjoyed being able to take them on his world travels in many instances.
After serving in the military from 1954-1956, Jim attended Wayne State University and Wayne State Law School.
Other roles he has held for PVM include chairing the Finance Committee and the Risk Management Committee, CCIC Insurance Committee and the Village of East Harbor Board. External to PVM, Jim has served on the Grosse Pointe Yacht Club finance committee and the Selfridge Air National Guard Museum Board.
We asked Jim what his secret is for an Aging Well Attitude. He credits his philosophy to never wait for things to happen, but rather to make things happen. This has been a lifelong philosophy for Jim. He also feels blessed that he is in good physical condition without a lot of aches and pains; but we think that is far from a coincidence. He simply does not have time for that!
So here’s to Jim Gompers, our inaugural role model, for inspiring us all to have an Aging Well Attitude!
