The Ocean Institute is pleased to announce that Jim Schmitt of San Clemente has been selected as its 2015 Volunteer of the Year. Jim has been a volunteer since 1997, and has devoted more than 5,500 hours to the Institute. He has volunteered at the gift shop, for weekend public programs, the information booth and many other roles.
Director of Volunteers Linda Blanchard remarked, “Jim is the quintessential ‘Johnny on the Spot.’ Before someone can ask ‘what is this place?’ or ‘where do I check in?’ Jim has anticipated the question, and provided that person with the answer or found someone else to help.”
Jim, an 18-year San Clemente resident, said, “I enjoy meeting and greeting new people. I’m happy to be a volunteer.”
“Jim’s outgoing personality has made him a perfect addition to our teams that interact with our guests,” continued Linda. “Jim loves people, and even more, the opportunity to enthusiastically educate them about the ocean and the Ocean Institute.”
He grew up in Pennsylvania (“Where we had no oceans,” he noted). The 85-year-old is a retired attorney, public defender and judge. He has also been an active volunteer at his church, St. Edward’s Catholic Church in Dana Point, and has volunteered for many other community organizations, including at Crystal Cove.
Jim and wife Diane were new to the area when they first discovered the Institute. They enjoyed the beach and supported the Institute’s mission of encouraging the public to be good stewards of the ocean, so they decided to volunteer. He remarked, “I’m embarrassed to say that when I was younger and you’d change the oil in your car, you’d dump the old oil down the sewer. We all did it. You never thought about how you were polluting and ruining our oceans.”
He continued, “I love being a part of an organization that teaches children the harm such behaviors do. It’s wonderful to see people leaving here with a greater understanding and appreciation of our oceans.”
Jim and wife Diane were named the Ocean Institute’s Volunteers of the Year in 2005. Diane, his wife of 58 years, died in 2012. He recalled, “She was a wonderful lady, and was the one who often got me involved in things like the Ocean Institute. While I very much appreciate and am happy to be named Volunteer of the Year, I feel like the honor more appropriately belongs to her.”
Additional volunteers are welcome at the Institute. Contact Linda Blanchard at (949) 496-2274, ext. 221 or lblanchard@ocean-institute.org.
Founded in 1977, the Ocean Institute is a non-profit organization dedicated to ocean preservation through education, setting the standard for educational excellence and serving as a leading resource for universities, museums, teachers and all others seeking to increase their knowledge of the ocean. The Ocean Institute is open to the general public on weekends, 10 a.m. – 3 p.m. Cost: $6.50 adults, $4.50 children (ages 4-12), Ocean Institute members free. Unique maritime and ocean-themed items are available in the Chambers Gallery everyday, 9 a.m. – 5 p.m. Institute address: 24200 Dana Point Harbor Dr., Dana Point. Website: www.ocean-institute.org. Phone: (949) 496-2274.
Jim Graves
