JIM BOSTIC
Jim was born in Yonkers, New York, the son of Bishop William and Etta Jackson. He is a graduate of Charles E. Gorton High School, where he received All-American honors in basketball. After being highly sort after by universities nationwide, Jim chose New Mexico State University where he majored in Personnel Management and has since obtained a Bachelor’s Degree in Ministry from Bibleway Institute of New England, and a Masters and Doctorate Degree in Theology from the Open Bible Institute and Theological Seminary. He also received All-American honors in basketball while at New Mexico State. After college, he was drafted by the Kansas City Kings of the National Basketball Association, and also played for the Detroit Pistons. Upon the completion of his basketball career, Jim began a very successful coaching career at Albert Leonard Middle School in New Rochelle, where he compiled a 32-2 record over two (2) years. From Albert Leonard, he became Head Coach and a full-time teacher at New Rochelle High School. Jim lead them to an impressive 128-15 record over five (5) years, a New York State Section I Championship, and four (4) straight Conference I championships. He later began a seven (7) year coaching career at Iona College in New Rochelle, as their Assistant Basketball Coach. Shortly after retirement from Iona College, Jim continued coaching at Leake & Watts High School in Yonkers where he lead them to two straight Class D Section I Championships and The Team Sportsmanship of the Award in the same season.
After leaving Iona College Jim became Program Coordinator at Nepperhan Community Center in Yonkers where he now serves as their Executive Director, responsible for all agency staff and programs. He hosts their Voices of the Community Cable Television show, which is aired on Wednesday evenings at 10:30 pm on channel 18. Jim is also the founder of the Yonkers Midnight Basketball and the Say Yes To Life Basketball Programs. Since assuming the leadership of Nepperhan Community Center, he has been responsible for creating numerous new programs including the 125 member Nepperhan Youth Corp, a violence prevention program that features one of the Metropolitan area’s top drum and bugle corps. The addition of an outdoor basketball court which is now home of the Yonkers Midnight Basketball Program, a major food drive to feed the hungry, a Black Tie Gala, a walk-a-thon, the creation of the state first Parent Teacher Student Association sponsored by a community-based organization, five Youth Tackle Football teams, the largest provider of afterschool programs in Yonkers and the surrounding area., and is currently working on a project to expand the Nepperhan Community Center to a new site location. Dr. Bostic has not only expanded the agency to have offices throughout the Lower Hudson Valley, but currently, they are also operating programs in Tanzania, Cote D’Ivoire, Burkina Faso, and Ghana on the continent of Africa, and in Haiti
