Jim Wickham, the Man Behind the Carnival, Named Grand Marshal in Memorial Day Parade

Jim Wickham may be the man behind the Mill Valley Carnival, but on Monday he will also have a special place in the 2013 Memorial Day Parade as this year’s grand marshal.

The theme this year is "Let the Good Times Roll” and supports the National Safe Bike Routes to School program. Organizer Larry "the Hat" Lautzker said it’s all about raising awareness about ways to improve the city’s quality of life.

“Jim really represents that,” Lautzker said.

He can often be seen riding his bike around town, but most of you probably know him as a former Mill Valley police captain. Wickham is also a fourth-generation Mill Valley resident – his father was former mayor George Wickham who died in 2010 – and joining him in the parade will be his daughter Lauren, an eighth grader at Mill Valley Middle School and a fifth-generation resident, and his 2-year-old granddaughter Sienna, a sixth-generation resident.

“We are an endangered species,” Wickham said.

Soon after retiring from the department in 2012, he was named police chief in Nevada City, but he still lives in Mill Valley and makes it a point to play an active role in the community.

Take the carnival, for instance.

“I think it’s a chance to reflect on how Mill Valley used to be,” he said.

Growing up in the city, he’s seen significant changes over the years. The sweeping views and proximity to San Francisco and Silicon Valley have been a draw for many people, particularly young families, and Wickham has seen the cost of living skyrocket as more wealth has moved in.

"It's a first class town," he said. "People have to realize you don't live in a bubble."

He noticed the community feel of Memorial Day weekend seemed to be slipping away. As a boy, the Mill Valley carnival was an important event for him so last year, after an 8-year hiatus, he decided to bring it back.

“It’s something that as a kid I really enjoyed,” he said. “And having five kids, it was perfect.”

Last year the carnival also raised about $40,000 for Kiddo!, which continues to fund arts, technology and physical education in the Mill Valley School District's six schools.

“He just stepped up and created an income source,” Lautzker said. “The carnival is certainly his way of raising energy and making a difference.”

Wickham said he plans to continue the annual carnival in order to remind the kids in Mill Valley that they’re part of a small city that cares.

“It’s more for them,” he said. “It shows that connection you have to the community.”