Dr. James (Jim) N. Sommerfrucht

Graduated from the University of Oklahoma with a master’s degree in petroleum engineering. He spent 34 years with Exxon during which time he worked in the US, North Africa, South America, Australia, and Southeast Asia. Having lived in the tropics in both hemispheres, Jim became intrigued with tropical fruit. He raised over 50 varieties of citrus, twenty varieties of mangoes, five varieties of starfruit, dragon fruit, and bananas, plus numerous uncommon fruits like chocolate pudding fruit and litchis. Now living in North Texas, he grows peaches, pears, persimmons, figs, and vegetables. Before he moved to North Texas, Jim married Sandra in 2008, and they moved closer to Mansfield where her family resides, and Plano where one daughter and two grandsons live. One daughter lives in Virginia. Always very active church members, Jim and Sandra attend Trinity Church in Cedar Hill, Texas. Whereas Sandra is the primary presenter of the School of Character, Jim mainly manages the operational elements of the School.