Jim Coakley

Jim Coakley graduated from St. Olaf College with a B.A. in Economics and German in 1984 and followed up ten years later with an M.B.A in Marketing from the Carlson School of Business at the University of Minnesota.  He spent his early career in merchandising and sales positions with Dayton Hudson Department Stores (now Macy's), Revlon, and Godiva Chocolatier.  After attaining his M.B.A. he joined Kimberly Clark Corporation in Marketing and Sales Planning, where he has remained for 17 years and is currently a team leader.

Jim lives in Appleton, Wisconsin with his spouse and two teenage children.  He is an active bicyclist, swimmer, as well as runner and loves to cook.  In the summer he usually can be found on the stage in an Attic (Community) Theater production and throughout the school year he sings with the White Heron Chorale, a semi-professional chorale group. 

Although Jim was raised Lutheran, he and his family joined the Fox Valley Unitarian Universalist Fellowship when they moved from Minneapolis to Appleton.  Being one of the fastest growing congregations in the UUA, Fox Valley has provided Jim the opportunity to teach religious education classes, be a coming of age mentor, lead the finance committee, be a board member, sing in the choir, and most recently serve as a lay minister.  Because his daughter is developmentally delayed, Jim has often focused his service on disabled youth and their families.

Jim is a part-time student at Meadville Lombard.  He joined with the first class of students in the TouchPoint format (Meadville Lombard Education Model) 2009.  He plans on completing his Master of Divinity degree program in 2015, after retiring from Kimberly Clark.