Photo by Mitchell Davis

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Jamie’s first recollection on a motorcycle was sitting on the back of her uncle’s bike for downtown St. Pete treks. For the retired teacher of thirty years, biking has been more than a hobby: it’s a lifestyle. “There’s a unique camaraderie of the people who ride. They’re so giving,” she says. “If I was ever having a bad day, I’d hop on my bike and drive away that frustration.” She and her late husband Jim opened Jim’s Harley-Davidson of St. Petersburg (jimshd.com) in 1979 and owned it together until his untimely death in 1988, leaving Jamie with a tough decision: sell it or ride solo. Never one to shy away from exploring new territory, Jamie became one of the first and few female dealership owners in the area. She’s been just as visible in the community working closely with organizations such as All Children’s Hospital and the Abilities Foundation and oversees the dealership’s annual Toy Run held each December since 1979.

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Originally from Clearwater, Jamie says she’s spent half her life in Clearwater and half in St. Pete and enjoys Bay area living. “I love everything we’re offered here. Fishing, swimming, boating…I remember riding with my uncle on his bike into town to go to the theater,” she says. “It was such a fun place to grow up as a kid.”

Though her first solo ride was on a dirt bike at age 10, she’s quick to point out that she never took her first spin on a Harley until she and Jim opened the shop. But she’s more than made up for it, estimating that she’s had at least 25 to 30 motorcycles in her garage in the years since then.

Since taking the helm of the dealership in 1988, she’s had a hands-on approach even while she was still teaching. “I’d go to school all day, then meet with all of the departments every afternoon, and stay late to handle whatever office things I needed to do at night,” she says. “I didn’t require much sleep then fortunately.”  Though she admits those were very busy days as she tried to balance her work as an educator and an entrepreneur, she says she never lost sight of her objectives. “I did a lot of soul searching then but I knew I could do it if I had things set up the right way. So I put in a computer system to help with daily operations and hired a bookkeeper. But I made sure I never shortchanged my kids at school,” she says.

Jamie looks to her team at Jim’s like a doting mom as she beams about her team’s dedication to service. “I try to reach out to all departments and let them know how much I appreciate them,” she says. “I’ve always impressed upon them the importance of communication with our customers and with each other.” Recently, Harley-Davidson rated the dealership #1 in the district for customer service.

She says she is seeing a growing number of women riders as commuters explore ways to travel greener and more economically and points out that motorcycles were recently added to a list of transportation vehicles eligible for sales tax deductions since they do have a lesser impact on the environment than other transportation alternatives. “We’re trying to get the message out to women especially that riding is fun and not just for men, but wearing helmets, going through training and riding respectfully is important for all riders,” she says.

She finds herself putting in more hours lately but says she loves to spend her free time working on our house and rebuilding her herb garden. Then there are her other “kids,” three adorable Chihuahuas who come to work with her every day. “The office wouldn’t let me leave them home now. They’re crazy about them, too,” she says with a laugh.