Jim Hastings (Deceased)

Jim and Cecily Hastings

Jim Hastings
San Serra Business Systems
Sacramento, CA

Jim was hired from Herman Miller Furniture to become President of San Serra Business Systems in late 1986.  He was the right person for the challenging job at San Serra.  Jim was a great business leader and manager of people, he did a super job as President.  ALCO purchased San Serra Business Systems in 1984.

Jim Hastings passed away Jan. 17, 2023 at 94 years old. 

Jim had a wonderful life with six children and much business success.  According to his wife, he lived many of his last years with dementia.  He is remembered as the co-founded of the East Sacramento Chamber of Commerce and the McKinley Neighborhood Association. Jim ran for Sacramento mayor 1996.

Jim was a Marine Corps veteran, he served in the Korean War, later traveled the U.S. while working as a vice president for IBM. He spent more than 25 years with IBM, specializing in sales and marketing, he retired from IBM in 1985 at which time he was named vice president of Herman Miller furniture, in San Francisco. 

Jim left Herman Miller in late 1986 to become President of Sa Serra, an ALCO company since 1984. 

In 1996, Jim and Cecily founded “Inside Sacramento” which publishes four monthly papers that serve East Sacramento, Arden-Carmichael, Land Park and Sacramento's grid, and Sacramento's Pocket neighborhood. The publications have a combined monthly circulation of 83,000.  Jim served as founder and chief financial officer until his dementia forced him to retire 2019.  Cecily Hastings said "Inside Sacramento" "employs about 14 people, most of whom Jim trained, and will continue serving its customers as they have since 1996". "Jim just looked out for people and looked out for small businesses," she said.  

A celebration of his life was held on Feb. 11, 2023 at Fremont Presbyterian Church in Sacramento. 

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Interesting information discovered in my research:

In 1968 Jim was the District Manager for IBM in Northern California and was the final interview and approval for a fledgling new sales rep, John Stuart who was in the IBM Oakland Branch office.....Hastings was also instrumental in John being promoted 3 years later to sales manager in the Honolulu branch.