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40 °F 5 Day Forecast Tuesday, December 9, 2003 Today's News | Classifieds | Autos | Homes | Jobs | Tempo | eSouthernOregon | Home Delivery SECTIONS Home Page Local News Sports Business Obituaries Life Opinion - Politics AP News Weather Classified Archives Site Map EXTRA Newspaper in Education Personals Movie Times TV Times E The People CLASSIFIEDS Find a Car Find a Home Find a Job Find a Rental Place an ad eSouthernOregon Automotive Communities Entertainment Publications Recreation Calendar CUSTOMER SERVICE Frequent Questions Advertising Information Home Delivery Employment Contact Us Media Kit Network Affiliate Email Story to a Friend November 27, 2003 A degenerative eye condition has nearly blinded LTM executive Jim Wright, but it hasn�t stopped him from being among the Rogue Valley�s most active and community-minded corporate leaders. Mail Tribune / Jim Craven A man of vision Business leader and community activist Jim Wright has persevered despite the macular degeneration that has left him virtually blind By GREG STILES Mail Tribune In the three years John Watt has shared a small office in southeast Medford with Jim Wright, Watt has observed, learned and often been amazed. Wright is vice chairman of LTM Inc., chairman of the Asante Health System board, a partner in Capital Associates Inc. and virtually blind. "We’ve worked so closely together that I don’t even realize Jim’s sight-impaired, he doesn’t let it stop him," says Watt, a former legislator who now lobbies for Jackson County interests in Salem. "I hear him on the phone all the time and he is continually doing community projects." More recently, Watt and Wright began working out at Superior Athletic Club II on Barnett Road. "He doesn’t let anything stop him, doesn’t have any barriers," Watt says. Advertisement Wright suffers from macular degeneration, which first surfaced nearly 40 years ago. But it failed to keep him from leading one of Southern Oregon’s best-known general contracting companies, and the 63-year-old titan among local business leaders continues to help shape the area’s economy. "The thing that impresses me the most about Jim is that even with a physical impairment, he sees the community better than if he had the same facilities we have with our eyesight," says Bill Thorndike Jr., president of Medford Fabrication. "He listens so actively that he sees things that maybe we take for granted. I’ve been on a lot of different committees Jim has been involved with, and he asks the right questions and offers support for people trying to do a good job." Wright’s still-expanding resume is a testament to his leadership skills and perseverance. "I’ve been blessed," Wright says. "I’ve been fortunate in life to do and participate in a lot of things. The things I’ve been involved in help me be a better person and I’ve benefited from the opportunities presented." For more than 30 years, Wright has been part of what was at one time his family’s rock and gravel company before a series of consolidations and acquisitions led to the company being known as LTM Inc. From 1992 to 2000 he was president of LTM, but has continued to do contract work for company since. He could’ve taken the easy way out, veered off the fast lane and lived out his days in relative seclusion. But that has never been Wright’s style. "It’s an issue of overcoming that fear of having people say he’s handicapped and can’t do it," Watt says. "He finds a way to do it because it needs to be done." Wright maintains a dizzying pace that keeps his telephone ringing and his fax machine humming. "I never did shy away," he says. "When opportunities came, I never passed any up." Monuments to his years of civic and corporate leadership adorn the walls of his corner office that opens toward the Rogue Valley Manor. But unless he stands next to them, they’re out of view. Although he’s known of his condition since he was in his 20s, Wright says you can only prepare so much for the next stage. "You anticipate a little, but you don’t realize exactly what’s coming," he says. "Generally, I’ve approached life as it comes. It’s made me a better person to realize you have a different perspective." On a day-to-day basis, it requires thorough planning, patience and dependency on those around him. LTM has provided a driver since the mid-1990s to shuttle him between the office and meetings. When he flies, he either relies on friends or family to assist him to and from the plane. Still, he recently played nine holes of golf with Rotary Club buddies at Quail Point and occasionally watches a video at home. When he works out, Watt guides him from machine to machine. "His perseverance, particularly when we’re working out, is amazing," Watt says. "If he’s doing chin-ups all on his own, he’s going to do three sets of 10. He’s going to do all of them." That determination aided him as a corporate leader and entrepreneur, where Wright made hundreds of decisions that determined the future for thousands of people. He thrived on responsibility and uncertainty didn’t eat away at him as it does for some. "It seems the same difficulties are there for Type A’s and B’s, it’s just how you face them," Wright reasons. "I’m competitive, but I’m more of a Type B." His heart, the way he was able to see labor’s point of view as much as management’s, allowed him to take positions on pension and trust fund boards. "Jimmy has that unique ability to understand money and business, but also understand the people side that really makes a business successful," says LTM Marketing Vice President Don Skundrick. "I’ve seen him make decisions time and time again with incredible clarity and he’s demonstrated that ability over scores of years." His vision far exceeds what his eyes may have ever beheld. During his tenure as Asante Health System board chairman, a massive expansion has begun that will ensure Rogue Valley Medical Center remains a key player in the industry. "The hospital has served us well for 50 years, and for the next 50 years we need to make changes to offer the level of service we have offered," says Wright who wraps up a nine-year run with the Asante board next month. Roy Vinyard, Asante’s chief executive officer, brings up character and integrity when discussing his relationship with Wright. "Not only is he an excellent leader, his peers respect him on every level," Vinyard says. "I would have to say he has been a wonderful mentor to me and is one of the most outstanding business leaders with whom I have ever had the pleasure of working." Even before finishing up with Asante, he’s already accepted another board assignment with People’s Bank of Commerce. It wasn’t the first time a bank asked Wright to join its board. "I just never felt I had the time," he says. Wright and his wife Judy now live in Medford, but he’s proud of his family’s lengthy Rogue Valley heritage, which extends back nearly a century in the Ashland area. After graduating from Ashland High School, Wright went on to earn a bachelor’s degree in general studies from Southern Oregon College in 1963. At that point, he figured he’d pursue something in banking, insurance or stocks and journeyed to the San Francisco Bay area. But in the course of taking a routine physical, the macular degeneration surfaced. "I was devastated that I couldn’t have those jobs," Wright recalls. The flip side — and one he repeatedly sees when others don’t — was that he was able to build a successful career in his own back yard. "That’s kind of the way things work," he says. "You don’t see the opportunities until you look back and see how great they were." He’s pondered what in his life he might swap for good sight, if he could make the choice. "If I could change any part of my life for my eyesight," Wright says. "I can’t think of anything I’d change." The Wrights’ three sons — Doug, David and Steven — are grown now and there are four grandchildren. And it’s only when he mentions Mitchell, Madison, Meg and Nathaniel that a hint of sadness colors his countenance. "When it comes to being a grandfather, there are parts I can’t physically do and I cloud up a little," he says. "But other than that, it’s been a great life. "There’s no ‘woe is me.’ This is the hand I’m dealt and I will play it. But I don’t want to overplay it." Reach reporter Greg Stiles at 776-4463 or e-mail [email protected] Mail Tribune Home Local News | Sports | Business | Obituaries | Life Opinion - Politics | AP News | Archives | Site Map E Southern Oregon | Classified Copyright © 1997-2003 Mail Tribune. All rights reserved. Privacy Policy | Terms & Conditions Website Feedback 3 WEEKS FREE! ADVERTISERS SPECIAL SECTIONS Auto Finder Job Finder Home Finder Joy Magazine Homelife Magazine Tempo Real Estate Showcase Food for Thought Hike of the Week Wellness Connection Outdoor Journal Moving to Southern Oregon? Volunteer Openings Prime Times