Page 5 - The Illinois Sig - Spring 2007

ALUMNI PROFILE

Warren "Zevon" James'84-lnfamous Builder of the Indestructible Basketball
Hoop-Flies the Skies,Builds the Land, and Racesthe Wind

Designing the Adjustable Jam Basketball Hoop Results from Necessity and a Structures Class

1. Why did you join the &aternity? 8. Did you live at the house? 11. What hobbies do you enjoy?
Both my parents had a great experience If so, who were your roommates? I am an avid pilot, flying for both
in the Greek system, and I assumed that Tell us a memorable time with them. business and pleasure. I learned to fly
I would as well. I lived in the house for three years and at the University of Illinois, and have
had many roommates, including Pat continued to fly for the past 23 years.
2. What was your favorite memory Kelly '83, Todd Antonelli '83, Bob I also love to water ski, snow ski, golf,
of the fraternity? Roth '82, Dan McMahon '84, Paul fish, and play paddle tennis.
I have many great memories, bur one Lencioni '85, Doug Fawkes '83, David
in particular was sitting out on the fire Filkin, Dan Munro '86 and I'm sure a 12. What are your goals for the next
escape watching the whole house doing few others that have slipped my mind. few years?
lay-up drills on the new basketball Raise healthy, wise and well-adjusted
hoop that I constructed. It gave me a children; continue to build rhe business,
lot of satisfaction to see so many people including expanding our development
enjoying the fruits of my labor. consulting servicesand Minneapolis
operations; obtain a type certificate
3. What kind of influence has this had allowing me to single-pilot a jet.
on your life?
I developed life-long friendships at Sigma 13. Tell us about that indestructible
Chi and often recall the lessons learned
living with your peers under one roof basketball hoop you made at the
&aternity house?
4. With whom do you stay in contact? Like most creations, it was born of
Kyle Kalinich'85, Jim Ward '8:', necessity.Being of limited vertical leap,
David Filkin '85, Tom Quinn '85, Warren and his family 500k time to enjoy and still wanting the thrill of being able
Mike Hartley '83, Don Pescara '85, Door County, WI in August of 2006. One of to jam a basketball, I thought of building
John Madden '81, Bill Stitt '83, Eric his goals is to raise"healthy, wise and well- an adjustable jam hoop. Knowing the
Anderson '83, Steven Maher '85, adjusted children." number and size of the brothers at the
among others. Sigma Chi house, I figured it needed to
9. What do you do for a living? be virtually indestructible.
5. Tell us about your family. Tell us about your career. I was taking a structures classin
I recently celebrated my 12thanniversary I am a residential real estate developer. the spring of 1984, so I designed the
with my wife, Amy LoBuono James, of I have been in the business for 20 years . basketball structure to hang a small
Cincinnati, OH. We have three children, now, working with my father, brother car off the end of it without too much
Sarah (9), Elizabeth (8), and Kyle (4). and another partner. We are active in the trouble (by my calculations, anyway).
Chicagoland and Minneapolis markets, The backboard consisted of two pieces
6. What other activities or organizations principally focused on the niche between of three-quarter-inch thick plywood
were you involved with during your the production and custom builders, glued and screwed together, and then
college days? and serving the empty nester. We seek completely coated in fiberglass.
I played a variety of intramural sports to develop unique, high-profile sites and The adjusting mechanism involved a
including football, basketball, floor add value to the communities in which large-diameter threaded rod that moved
hockey, ice hockey, and even one game we build (www.erjames.com). two parallel tracks of 4- x 6-inch wood
of water polo. members using a crank at the top. Yes,
10. What afflliations do you currently back then you needed a ladder to make
7. What is your nickname and how did have and/or public service do you the adjustment, but it worked for years.
you get it? participate in?
Zevon was my nickname. My first night I am a member of the Urban Land Last winter I stopped by the house
at the house in August of 1980, Bill Institute and the National Association and, after 22+ years, the pole and
White '83 asked if I had ever heard of of Home Builders. I also serve on the mounting mechanism are still in place,
the musician Warren Zevon. I told him building committee of Youth Services, though I understand the backboard
of course, and he said, "Zevon, that's Glenview/Northbrook. was recently replaced. We had many
what we're going to call you." great games and even some 3-on-3
tournaments on that hoop.

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