VERSAILLES — Jim and Kimberly Schulte are honored to be named the Honorary Parade Marshalls at the Poultry Days Grand Parade. The parade will begin at 11 a.m. on Saturday, June 10, as part of the three-day festival to be held June 9-11.

As a Versailles native, Poultry Days has long been part of Kim’s life beginning with her father, Riley Brandon, who helped cook the chicken at some of the earliest festivals, and her mother, Jeanne, who chaired the Miss Chick pageant from 1976-1999. After Kim was named Miss Chick Second Runner up in 1971, she joined her mother in co-chairing the pageant from 1976-1999. Kim also served on the Poultry Days Board of Directors from 1984-1995.

Jim grew up in Dayton and from the example of intentional service to their own local community set by his mother, Jim wasted no time getting involved upon moving to Versailles when he married Kim in 1981. He joined Kim by serving on the Poultry Days Board of Directors from 1986-1995 and was chairman of the parade before working his way to Head Chairman in 1994.

As Head Chairman, Jim, along with Kim, launched a rebranding and promotional strategy leading up to the event by introducing the “Find PD Rooster” contest at local businesses and by initiating painting chickens on the roads in Versailles. The iconic chicken that Kim designed, and what began as just their family riding around town painting the major intersections one weekend has now been a community staple for over 30 years. Under their leadership, Poultry Days allocated resources toward including in both the parade and festival highly entertaining performance groups in order to further attract people outside of the community and make the festival a destination for people in surrounding counties and even the Miami Valley. In order to help this wider audience locate the festival, Jim created the “All Roads Lead to Poultry Days” map which has been published on the back of the Poultry Days program since 1994.

Outside of Poultry Days, Jim and Kim have made it their priority throughout the years to create opportunities and elevate resources for the youth in our community. Together with other local families, they started the youth soccer program in Versailles in 1993 and, using Jim’s knowledge from his prior soccer career, provided the infrastructure and training for coaches and referees in a sport that was relatively unknown to this area at the time. They served as coaches in the youth soccer program for 10 years. Jim has also coached youth baseball, softball and basketball, and Kim was the high school basketball cheerleading coach. In 2002, they provided the leadership and land to coordinate the first home cross country meet for Versailles, the Tour de Sewer, which continues to run now over 20 years later.

For over 30 years, Kim has served, and continues to serve, on the Worch Memorial Public Library Board and while serving as president of the board in 2002 was instrumental in garnering support for constructing the current library. Jim has served on the Heritage Park Board, was the commissioner for Versailles Youth Baseball, and was president of the YMCA of Darke County Board. Both Jim and Kim are active members of Saint Denis Parish where Kim has taught CCD in past years and Jim is currently a founding board member of the Friends of Saint Denis.

Prior to her retirement in 2020, Kim taught art and advanced math at Franklin Monroe Elementary for 22 years. Jim worked at The Minster Machine Company for 25 years as the General Manager of Sales and Administration until he retired in 2020 and went on to found Ponki Global Solutions, a business where he provides project management and a wide variety of business solutions. Jim and Kim are the proud parents of John (Elyse) Schulte of Mason, Jessica (Adam) Hein of Statesboro, GA, and Kristen (Colton) Adkins of Versailles. In their retirement, they enjoy taking an active role in helping their adult children with their various small businesses, spending time at their lake house in Kentucky, and serving in their newest role as “Grandma and Ponki” to their grandchildren Riley Schulte, Hattie, Elizabeth, and Andrew Hein.

Jim and Kim would like to thank the Poultry Days Board for this recognition and look forward to welcoming everybody to the 2023 Poultry Days Parade on June 10 at 11 a.m.