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Jim Lewis Title : Jacksonville mayor Age : 53 Education : Bachelor's degree, English, College of William and Mary, 1967; law degree from the college's Marshal-Wythe School of Law, 1974 Military : Served twice in Vietnam aboard two Navy ships, including an LST and an aircraft carrier. Retired as captain from the U.S. Naval Reserve in 1994. Offices : President of the Rogue Valley Council of Governments, President of the Southern Oregon Council of Mayors, vice president of Southern Oregon Regional Communications (the regional 911 board). Board Membership : Rogue Valley Area Commission on Transportation, Rogue Valley Air Quality Planning Advisory Committee, Rogue Valley Local Public Safety Coordinating Council (Juvenile Justice committee) and Regional Rate Committee (waste water treatment). New hat for Jacksonville mayor It's the latest of many changes for Jim Lewis By MELISSA MARTIN JACKSONVILLE -- It doesn't take a law degree to be the mayor of a historic landmark community. But it sure helps. Mayor Jim Lewis is a former attorney from Virginia and also a retired Navy captain, two experiences that help him run this town of 2,100 people. And now he has a new role, serving on the board of the National Association of Regional Councils. The group will pay Lewis' way back to Washington, D.C., in March for the first of three meetings held this year. "This is a counterpart to the National League of Cities, a lobby group," Lewis says. He replaces state Rep. Bill Morrissette, the former mayor of Springfield. Lewis moved to Jacksonville in 1980 with his wife, Gayle, a retired Navy captain. She's a nurse practitioner at Rogue Valley Medical Center. It was a return home for Gayle, whose father, Charlie Offenbaucher, was an Oregon State Police trooper. Gayle Lewis attended Jacksonville Elementary School, as did their daughter, Claire, 23 and now of Eugene. Before he retired from the Naval Reserve in 1994, Jim Lewis directed the 200 people who work at the Naval Reserve Center on Ross Lane. He also commanded the Seabees, the Navy's mobile construction battalions. His 40-person crew helped renovate the Butte Creek bridge in Eagle Point and helped build the play structure in Bear Creek Park. Lewis jumped right into local government when he arrived in Jacksonville. He served on the Historic Architecture and Review Committee in 1982, the budget committee and then was elected to the City Council. This is his third term as mayor. During his 17 years at city hall, Lewis has seen many changes. He has a "new office," located in the renovated Miller House on Main Street; he's watched as plans are made to build nearly 100 homes in Jacksonville this next year; he served as the city upgraded its water and sewer systems and then lifted a 15-year building moratorium; and he's waited anxiously for the state and county to approve a highway that would clear heavy traffic away from downtown historic buildings. "I'm certainly more optimistic that Jacksonville will get a bypass than I was five years ago. Now I'm thinking that my grandchildren might get to see it," he says. Looking into the future, Lewis dreams of more funding for the city's volunteer fire department, especially as more homes are built in the coverage area. He also hopes to see more affordable housing in Jacksonville. "Our market is the most expensive and right now," Lewis says. "A young family can't afford to buy here." What impresses Lewis the most about Jacksonville is the way people volunteer their time. He cites as an example the Jacksonville Woodlands Association, which was started by Larry Smith, an elementary school teacher, and his class of sixth-graders. "I like the way people roll up their sleeves and work on things, rather than sit back and expect it to be handed to them," Lewis says. "And of course, the town itself is pretty cute." Mail Tribune Copyright � The Mail Tribune 1999, Medford, Oregon USA