I never called James by his given name, and I felt his kindred spirit, so I called him Jim. Jim had a leadership style and quality that made him stand out far more than his height and well dress.
I met James Washington almost 50 years ago. We were both young when we came into the association. I never called James by his given name, and I felt his kindred spirit, so I called him Jim. Jim had a leadership style and quality that made him stand out far more than his height and well dress. Jim’s ability to use common sense analogy to address and bring an understanding to complicated situations made him stand out. I remember distinctly when we were engaged in trying to understand this digital transformation and how to monetize it. Jim used the analogy of a cruise ship with vacant rooms to which he referred to as inventory, and we needed to sell our inventory. That opened my eyes to the possibilities of selling digitally. Not only was Jim a businessman, but he was also a very spiritual person, and believe it or not, we shared moments of spiritual deepness. I will always remember Jim for that. His politeness, mild manner, and seriousness for moving the NNPA forward will undoubtedly be missed.
— Bobby R. Henry, Sr. Chairman
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