Jim Parks
c4wf Board President
Jim is a Milwaukee native with nine siblings, eight of whom still reside in the Metro Milwaukee area. Jim’s family has a lifelong connection to The Center - Family of Families in Quito, Ecuador, a mission that was co-founded in 1964 by Jim’s aunt, Sister Madre Miguel Conway, BVM.
Jim served as a yearlong volunteer at the Center in 1985 and became fluent in Spanish during his time in Ecuador. He has returned to the Center on many occasions over the past 20 years to serve as a chaperone for visiting service groups.
In 2014, Jim succeeded his mother, Pat Parks and he became Board President of Center For Working Families (C4WF), the United States fundraising arm of the Center.
In addition to serving as the Board President for C4WF, Jim serves on the boards of Milwaukee Catholic Home and Nativity Jesuit Academy. For the past 16 years, Jim has been a Mentor for Nativity Jesuit Academy graduates, helping them navigate their way through high school. He also helped his Hispanic brother-in-law start a residential painting business 7 years ago and continues to act as a volunteer translator, estimator, and the billing department for the business.
Jim is a member of the Catholic Professionals Forum Steering Committee and is an active parish member at St. Mary’s Visitation in Elm Grove where he chairs the Buildings & Grounds Committee.
Jim is a graduate of MUHS and earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Civil Engineering from Marquette University and his law degree from the University of Wisconsin – Madison. Currently, Jim is President and Principal at Berghammer Construction, a commercial general contractor serving clients across southeastern Wisconsin.
Jim resides in Brookfield, Wisconsin with his wife, Stacy, and they have four adult children, Liam, Maura, Sean, and Aidan. In his spare time, Jim enjoys going up north with his family, running, biking and golfing.