Meet the official; Fullingim wears many hats

Oklahoma native James Fullingim has lived in Madill for almost three decades. In those thirty years, he has worn many hats holding various jobs in Marshall County.

Starting out as a reserve police officer then working his way up through the ranks of the police department to police chief. Eventually, he transitioned over to the municipal side to take on his current role as Madill City Manager, which is unique as he is the only acting city manager for any of the cities within Marshall County.

Fullingim is also active withinthecountyasareserve at the Marshall County Sheriff's Office. He was raised just one county over in Ardmore andgraduatingfromDickson High School, Fullingim is a family-oriented individual who found his path in life after moving to Madillattheageof19in1995. Fullingim said he is married to the love of his life, Jennifer, who is extremely supportive of him and his career.

Together, they have two adult daughters, Jenson and Jaylee who are now embarking on their own paths in life. The Madill Record recently sat down with Fullingim for a short Q&A for the residents of Marshall County to get to know him.

Q: Prior to being city manager for the city of Madill you started your career out in the Madill Police Department. How did yougetintolawenforcement?

A:“Whenever I was college aged and going to school at Murray State and Southeastern Oklahoma. My dad moved to Madill and I moved over here with him, and I was living with him and going to school in 1995. Then in 1996 I graduated from Murray with an associates degree. At Southeastern I never did graduate but I did attend classes there. I was able to move over here with him when I was about 19 or 20. It was in December of 1996 theyweretakingapplications down here (Madill P.D.) for reserve police officers. And my dad actually talked me into coming down and applying as a reserve. I didn’t have a career goal of being in law enforcement. That wasn’t my idea until I got introduced to it. I had kicked around different degrees (in college), I looked at a finance degree and I was taking some business classes. I kinda had a goal of moving outside of the small town Ardmore area. I had aspirations of moving to a bigger city and taking a career path that way, but my dad had talked to me about it. He said it would look good on my resume and so came down I put my application in. At first I didn’t want to and he talked to me about it more. I came down and put my application in as a reserve and realized I wanted to do that. It was just one of those things I didn’t realize that I was cut out for until I was introduced to it; it was like a life change for me. I just suddenly realized that not only am I cut out for it, this is what I want to do. I rode out just a few times and realized that I definitely wanted to make a career out of law enforcement and I wanted to do it here. It was the only department that I had been introduced to and I really wanted to work here. There wasn’t any job openings at the time, but I came in and talkedtothemaboutwanting to go full time. Then a position openedup,whenanother officer that I was working with went to work with the Sheriff's office, so February 15 of 1997 was my first day starting full time here. I fell in love with the police officer position. I figured out I was really cut out for that and I did not know I was until I was introduced to it. When I came to be Chief of police here I really found my comfort zone. I felt like I really excelled in my position and that became who I am.”

Q: Tell our readers how it is that you decided to make the change from law enforcement to city management. How did that happen since you are so passionate about law enforcement?

A: “That was a transition. I ended up here twice as an interim. When the manager, Robert Watts, passed away in 2011 I was appointed as interim that year. I was appointed by the city council to be interim and I loved it. I really enjoyed it but it wasn’t my time. The city council talked about taking the position or doing both, but it just wasn’t my time. I didn’t have the years on to be able to retire at the police department. As much as I love the city I still had a career I had to attend to. So I declined the offer to take the position at that time. I helped the city council seek out the next city manager. Ronald Lundlee was chosen at that time. Then in 2016 he passed away and I just started doing his job. I wasn’t appointed at first. When he passed away, because I had done it before, at the next city council meeting I just went up and I sat in the seat that Ronald should be in. I gave the financials and went over stuff with the council and just rocked along and filled in voluntarily. I am not sure how long I did that for, and I was like we really need to appoint me as interim. At which time they did appoint me as interim. And I had guessed I had not quite 20 years on, about 19 years and some odd months interim. I just started doing the job and rocked along. Almost a year goes by and I’m still interim, and I realize we really need to hire somebody. I go to the council and I tell them. I am really enjoying myself but we really need to hire somebody. I didn’t want to do it. I wanted to go back to the police department, is what i was thinking. Then one of the council members asked me if I would, even though I didn’t turn in my resume. We had 30-something resumes when we advertised for that position that year. They asked me to go ahead and interview, even though I wanted to go back to the police department. So I interviewed, even though I didn’t turn in a resume for it. I interviewed and it came down to me and one other gentleman.Theyinterviewed the two of us and they chose me. They offered me the position and I took it. That was in November of 2017” Q: Tell us how you and your wife, Jennifer met.

A: “I was in high school. When I was 16 years old I had a friend over at my house that I was hanging out with. I didn’t know Jennifer, my wife, at the time; I had never met her. I had a friend that really liked her, I actually called her and got her answering machine. I left a message for her to call me back. She called back and we started the convresation out at that point and time just talking between the two of us. She was 15, I was 16 and we didn’t really know each other. Wewereayearapart,shewas a year behind me in school at Dickson. I realized as soon as I was introduced to her, that I wanted her as my girlfriend. There was something special about her. I asked her out, we went on our first date and starteddatingeachotherthat year. We dated throughout high school. I knew from a very young age I wanted to marry Jennifer, she was just so special to me. I fell in love with her really young. Then I graduated and she was still in high school. Once she graduated we were at the same school together and I knew a long time ago I was going to marry her. I wasn’t going to be one of these kids that gets married without a job or no career or anything like that. I wanted to get everything set in motion first. So in 1997 when I took the position here it set me up for our future. We actually got married later that year on June 30, 1997. We also bought our first house that year, over on Francis street. She has always been my best friend, the love of my life. I can’t imagine life without her.”

Q:YouhavebeeninMadill since the mid 90’s and made it your home. What made you decide this was where you wanted to settle down and make it your permanent home?

A: “What caused me to have a passion for the city of Madill was the police department. I don’t know if it’s the community, if it’s the police department,oracombination but once I got introduced to serving a community such as in the police department and protecting the people here I just knew that is what I want. I have just not wanted to leave. Would I have the same passion had I started in another community? I do not know that answer. Because I didn’t. I have never worked for another city, so I don’t know if I would have that same passion or not. But like I said, once I was introduced to a job I love, I just stuck it out.”