Chances are you have seen Jim McAleer at any one of our Ladera Ranch community events. At 6’ 6" with blondish hair, a ready grin, and a firm handshake, Jim is hard to miss!

You’ll likely spot Jim wearing one of his many volunteer hats: serving beer at the Fourth of July to raise funds for Savannah’s Organic Ranch that teaches school kids the importance of healthy foods; lending support to Bethany’s Gait that partners abandoned and abused horses with at-risk children; or manning the booth for the Alzheimer’s Association of Orange County of which Jim is President and CEO.

A dedicated volunteer for as long as he can remember, Jim’s first volunteer experience in Ladera was in 2008 as President of the PTA at Chaparral Elementary where his 11-year-old son, Joseph, attended (photo above).

"My parents taught me the importance of volunteering from my earliest years and I want Joseph to understand the importance of it too, particularly here in Ladera Ranch. It’s our community and our home," Jim says.

Born in Savannah, Georgia, "a few decades ago," Jim has spent his entire 25-year career in the service of others – from advocating on behalf of severely disabled people and the deinstitutionalization of group housing and sheltered workshops, to helping found an orphanage to feed, clothe, house and educate kids living on the streets in Tijuana, Mexico. He has personally raised over $20 million for the dozens of non-profits with which he has been involved as a staffer or volunteer.

Today, the cause closest to Jim’s big heart is the fight to find a cure for Alzheimer’s Disease and to support families living with the disease. "Every day I see first-hand the devastation it has on those who suffer from Alzheimer’s and the impact it has on their families."

Startling but true, while national statistics reveal one in six baby boomers currently dies from Alzheimer’s by the age of 65, the figures in Orange County are closer to one in four. As head of the Orange County Alzheimer’s Association, Jim’s job is to serve the almost 70,000 dementia patients who live here, those at risk of contracting the disease and the thousands of caregivers who support them. "While we may not have a cure for Alzheimer’s today, we will not give up that fight, says Jim.

" We can provide wonderful support programs for those stricken with the disease as well as the real heroes – those family members and friends – who take care of them. I spend a lot of my time spreading the word that there is a place to turn to when help is needed – including help for those living in our own Ladera Ranch community."

Jim’s good work has not gone unnoticed. A recent high point this year was his appointment by the Orange County Board of Supervisors to the nine-member Board of Directors for Cal Optima – the $1.4B County organized health care system that administers health insurance programs for low income families, children seniors and persons with disabilities in the County.

"By serving on the Board of Cal Optima, the single largest health care provider to low income and at-risk families in Orange County, I have a chance to be a voice for those families, and to the families we serve at the Alzheimer’s Association.

When time permits, Jim can sometimes be found "strutting the boards," usually for a good cause. And quite a talent he is too! This April, he and his professional dancing partner two-stepped and fox-trotted their way into first place at the Assistance League’s annual "Dancing with the Stars" fundraising event, where Jim took the title of Best Male Dancer!

Earlier this year, he sang-and-danced his way across the stage in the CHOC Follies annual production, "The Wizard of OC." As the Tin Man, one of the four principle characters, Jim and the rest of the cast helped raise over $800,000 for the Children’s Hospital of Orange County. "I may not be the best singer or dancer in town, but if the cause is good, and the lighting is dim, I can sing, dance, or juggle – whatever it takes to help kids in need," laughs Jim.

When asked what he most likes about living in Ladera Ranch Jim doesn’t hesitate to say, "There is not better place on earth to raise a child. My son is safe, well educated, and surrounded by wonderful, kind and caring people."

So next time you see this 6’6" guy with blondish hair and a ready grin volunteering at a Ladera Ranch community event, go and say "Hi Jim." Chances are good it will be Jim McAleer, volunteer extraordinaire!