On his first day of work at John Deere in 1979, straight out of college, Jim Israel was given a pledge form. So began his 37-year journey with United Way that will continue in perpetuity.
Jim, who retired as president of John Deere Financial in 2014, and his wife Deb, a retired nurse, have been married for 38 years and have lived in Des Moines for 20. Since 2006, Jim has served United Way of Central Iowa in many volunteer roles, including campaign cabinet member, board member, and 2015 campaign chair.
