RISMEDIA, October 13, 2009—Jim Gillespie, President and CEO of Coldwell Banker Real Estate LLC, Parsippany, New Jersey, has received the 2009 Distinguished Alumni Award from the College of Applied Health Sciences at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. He was honored for his outstanding contributions to business and community growth through leadership and philanthropy.
Gillespie pursued studies in Recreation and Park Management through the Department of Recreation, Sport and Tourism, earning a bachelor’s degree in 1967 and a master’s degree in 1968. He taught 6th through 8th grades and coached sports programs at grade schools in Ludlow, Illinois, and Memphis, Tennessee. He then joined the YMCA in Spartanburg, South Carolina, as youth director, and went on to a similar position in LaGrange, Illinois, where he also opened a new YMCA branch.
“Jim Gillespie’s remarkable success reflects the core missions of the College of Applied Health Sciences—service to others, improving lives, building strong communities,” said Dean Tanya Gallagher. “He leads by example, and we are truly proud of him as a role model for us all.”