James “Jim” Grant is a Saginaw native, 1962 Arthur Hill graduate and valedictorian. During his graduation speech, Jim presented his senior class with a challenge—"dare to be different,” encouraging his classmates to embrace their uniqueness and take bold steps in life, to challenge conventional thinking, and to pursue one’s own path to a fulfilling future.
After graduating with a Bachelor of Science from Northwestern University in 1966 and an MBA from the University of Michigan in 1967, Jim took a giant leap toward his high school challenge, with a bold 2,400-mile move to San Francisco. It was here that his three daughters were born. In the early 1970s, Jim took his next step, on what observers may have seen as shaky ground, by joining a start-up that lost $20 million its first year in business. But his risky move paid off as that company grew to reach a revenue of $35.9 billion their recent fiscal year. That company is known today as Visa Inc. Jim later moved to Chicago with the First National Bank of Chicago and pursued 20 years in executive marketing roles in the financial services industry, retiring in 2005 from JPMorgan Chase Bank.
Lynda Vieha was born and raised in Chicago and traveled her own path as the first in her family to attend college. After graduating with a Bachelor of Arts from Barat College in Lake Forest, IL, Lynda made the decision to move across country to San Francisco for work as a paralegal. But it wasn’t until Lynda and James independently made the decision to work for the First National Bank of Chicago that they would finally meet years later. Lynda shared Jim’s ambitious nature, taking on various roles in the legal and banking industries, rising through the ranks. She eventually retired from her role as the vice president of Private Banking at NBD bank.
Lynda and Jim married in 1995 and eventually found their way to Michigan, to their beloved summer home at Point Lookout on Saginaw Bay. In 2019, they established an endowed scholarship in their names to be used exclusively for deserving graduates of Au Gres Sims High School to attend Delta College. This decision was driven by a desire to make a positive impact on the Au Gres community through financial assistance and creating opportunities for pursuing higher education.
For the last 20 years, they have spent half of their year in Boca Grande, Florida, where they have served on numerous charitable boards and enjoy performing in the local community theatre. Lynda and Jim’s life choices, from their career decisions to their community involvement and support for education, reflect the sentiment Jim shared with his senior class over 60 years ago—"dare to be different.” The couple continues to forge this meaningful path together.
Interested in creating an endowed scholarship? Contact Julie Dorcey at 989-686-9079 or juliedorcey@delta.edu.
