Jim Murphy is the vice president and manager of Oceanside Bank on Beach Boulevard.
WHAT DOES HE DO?
With the bank for three years, Murphy specializes in commercial lending.
CLIENT BASE
Oceanside is a community bank that targets small businesses and families.
WHY GO INTO BANKING?
“I’ve always been fascinated by economics and finance, the role of money and how it effects companies and individuals on the most basic level. Banking is economics in action at its important level, providing companies and families with the capital they need to prosper.”
WHAT ELSE HAS HE DONE?
Preferential to small community or savings banks, Murphy has tried to stick with that market. Consolidations have caused him to work at big banks like NationsBank and SunTrust though. He began his career at American Security Bank in Washington, D.C.
HOMETOWN
Mountain Lakes, N.J.
WHY DIVE INTO THE JACKSONVILLE MARKET?
“Jacksonville is a vibrant, growing city with extraordinary potential because of its diverse, industrious population, broad range of industries and strong business infrastructure.”
COLLEGE
Murphy has a bachelor’s degree in economics from Clemson University and a master’s degree in business administration from Georgetown University.
WHAT’S REWARDING ABOUT WHAT YOU DO?
“The community involvement. My job enables me to be active in our community, to meet new people and make significant contributions of service.”
WHAT’S MOST CHALLENGING?
“Trying to find the right loan structure for each company’s or family’s needs. Everything we do is custom made. We have to be flexible and tailor our services to fulfill our clients’ needs.”
IN THE KNOW
Immediate past president of the Beaches Business Association, Murphy currently serves as the director for the Independent Living Resource Center of Jacksonville and is a member of the Rotary Club of East Arlington.
FAMILY
Married to Abby for 21 years, they have one child, Brendan, who is six months old. They live in Baymeadows.
HOBBIES
Strumming a six-string, running, or rooting on the Jacksonville Suns are his passions. A Marx Brothers’ fan, Murphy also enjoys watching “A Night at the Opera.” Beach Diner is his spot for dining out, and when he’s lounging at home, he’s reading the John Steinbeck novel, “The Grapes of Wrath.”
ZERO LOVE
“I met [tennis player] Martina Navratilova while she was training at Georgetown. Martina was distracted by a slogan on the shirt I was wearing. She stopped her practice and approached me to discuss it.”
—by Monica Chamness