Jim Friend

Commissioner

Term ends November 30, 2026

Jim Friend was nominated as the designated “resident” commissioner by Mayor Jim Carruthers in 2017 and reappointed by Mayor Richard Lewis in 2022.  He has also served on the Riverview Terrace Resident Council.  His life’s travels exposed him to the acute need for high-quality affordable housing within all of our communities, a topic to which he is eager to lend his voice.  After a long career in food and beverage management, he relocated to the area in 2002.  A long time area volunteer, he continues to give back to our community by serving as a Certified Peer recovery Mentor (CPRM) for Northern Michigan Substance Abuse Services (YouPickRecovery.org) and he is active in SGI (Soka Gakkai International), a Buddhist lay organization that promotes peace, culture, and education.  Born in Detroit, he has lived in Mexico and New York City.  He has many fond memories of visiting this region as a child where his grandmother was born and raised.