Bay Area Council Staff

Jim Tighe Chief Operating Officer

Jim Tighe is Chief Operating Officer for the Bay Area Council.  His responsibilities include membership development, fund development, events management, governance committee support, human resources, accounting, database management, and administration.  Since retiring from Chevron in August, 1999, he has served in a variety of leadership and Board roles for several nonprofit and charitable organizations. 

Jim served from 2001 through 2005 on the Board of Examiners for the Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award Program.  He is a former Judge in the California Quality Award program and the Army-wide Communities of Excellence Program.  He chaired the Conference Board’s West Coast Performance Excellence Council from 1994-1999.

Jim’s 30-year career with Chevron included executive, operating, and technical roles in a variety of organizations.  As head of Corporate Quality (1993–1999), he helped plan and implement Chevron’s corporate-wide total quality initiative.  Earlier responsibilities included Vice-President, Operations (COO) for Chevron Pipeline Company (1988-1992), chief commercial officer for Chevron Shipping Company (1982-1984), and Assistant Manager of Chevron Shipping’s International Fleet (1982-1984).  In the mid-1980s, he served as assistant to Ken Derr, executive in charge of the $13.8 billion Chevron/Gulf merger, then the largest merger in corporate history.  In the late 1970s, he served as senior corporate advisor on Middle East and Asian interests, including affiliated operations of Caltex Petroleum and ARAMCO.

Jim holds Bachelors and Masters Degrees in Mechanical Engineering from Rice University.

A native of Texas, now living in Mill Valley, California, Jim enjoys tennis, golf and mountain biking.  His wife Susan is a retired merchandising executive, formerly with Levi Strauss & Co.