Biography of
Mr. Jim Burke
Jim Burke, a native son of Bakersfield, CA in 1925 is a third generation citizen of Kern County. Mr. Burke attended Standard Grammar School and Kern County Union High School now known as Bakersfield High School. Mr. Burke served in the U.S. Navy from 1944 to 1946, and graduated from Stanford University in 1948 with a Bachelor of Science Degree in Industrial Engineering. In 1949, Mr. Jim Burke started in the automobile business with Haberfelde Ford and has been associated with the same dealership and affiliated for 54 years. Mr. Burke is the Chairman of Jim Burke Ford & Sterling Truck Certified Leasing Co., Jim Burke Lincoln Mercury, and Jim Burke Jaguar.
Mr. Burke has held a variety of leadership positions and awards within the community and industry. His latest accolade was in 2003, where he was honored with Ford Motor Company's "Salute to Dealers" Award.
Mr. Burke has been a supporter of the Bakersfield Police Activities League since it was formed in 1994. Through Mr. Burke's philanthropic efforts BPAL enjoys a state of the art facility that provides educational and recreation programs to over one thousand children annually and, on average two hundred children daily.
We commemorate Mr. Burke's efforts by naming our fields in his honor.
* This honor was given at the BPAL Awards and Recognition Dinner February 20, 2004.