Santa Maria honors late community icon Jim Glines with memorial sign
SANTA MARIA, Calif. (KEYT) - The City of Santa Maria honored community icon Jim Glines with the unveiling of a new memorial sign Monday morning.
The new sign is located on Miller Street, between Santa Maria Way and Highway 135, near Community Bank of Santa Maria, which he co-founded back in 2001.
“Santa Maria Way was Bank of Santa Maria's headquarters, and it's where Jim first came to work as a community banker," said Janet Silveria, Community Bank of Santa Maria President/CEO. "Literally for 40 years, this is the building that he provided all this support for the community out of. This is where he held his his desk, his council, his all the wonderful things that he did for the community all started right here on Santa Maria Way in this building."
On Monday, with many Glines family members and friends in attendance, along with other Santa Maria community leaders, the new sign was officially dedicated the City of Santa Maria Recreation & Parks Department.
"It's really cool and very unexpected," said John Glines, Jim Glines's son. "This is one of his very favorite spots in the entire Santa Maria Valley and just having this section of road named after him, where everybody pulling into and out of the bank can see is is really special, and it's cool seeing the range of our community that has come out to support this and and know that he had an impact on all of them."
Known by many as "Mr. Santa Maria," Glines familiar face and friends to many across the region, through his immense community service efforts, his successful business ventures and award-winning auctioneering.
Raised on a cattle ranch in the Cuyama Valley, Glines attended grammar and high school in Santa Maria. He later graduated from Cal Poly with a Bachelor’s Degree in Farm Management, and added a Graduate Degree in Banking from the University of Colorado.
During his lifetime, there have been few, if any, individuals in the Santa Maria Valley who have given back to the community more than Glines, who was a constant presence at hundreds of charitable events through the years.
"What an important man he was and what an impact he had," said Santa Maria Mayor Alice Patino. "He loved the city so much. I hope that people remember when they see (the sign), that they will remember Jim Glines, and that they will be able to tell their kids and their grandkids who Jim Glines was and what he did in the City of Santa Maria,
Glines was a member of the Santa Maria Elks Lodge #1538 for more than 50 years and was past chairman of the Santa Maria Elks Rodeo Queen Contest.
He also served as Elks Rodeo Queen Chairman or Co-Chairman for 20 years and was named as the Santa Maria Elks Lodge “Citizen of the Year” in 2008.
Glines was also a board member of Los Rancheros Visitadores, was appointed to the Santa Barbara County Fair Board of Directors in 1990 by then-California Governor George Deukmejian, and was later elected President of the Board.
In 2001, Glines co-founded Community Bank of Santa Maria and served as President and Chief Executive Officer for many years before becoming the bank's Chairman of the Board, which he held until the time of his death.
Glines also appeared on countless television commercials for Community Bank of Santa Maria, many times riding a horse, befitting his lifelong equine passion.
As an auctioneer, Glines built a reputation as one of the finest in the business.
A graduate of the World Champion College of Auctioneering in Bakersfield, Glines was a former member of the Board of Directors of the California State Auctioneers Association and was named California State Champion Auctioneer in 2001.
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