James Palmer

President & CEO
Orange County Rescue Mission

For the last 36 years, Dr. James ‘Jim’ Palmer has been an extraordinary leader and a tireless champion for Orange County’s less fortunate individuals and families. Dr. Palmer has transformed Orange County Rescue Mission in Santa Ana from a single rundown facility housing nine homeless men into a 14-facility, multi-organization operation serving thousands of homeless, formerly homeless individuals and youth at risk of homelessness each year. Along with a staff of more than 80 individuals and hundreds of volunteers, he has established 10 programs catering to the wide-ranging needs of those occupying the Rescue Mission’s 11 transitional living and three healthcare facilities. Led by staff and volunteers, these programs provide aid to the local homeless population, including food, healthcare, addiction recovery support, education, job training and supportive living communities that dramatically improves people’s lives and sets them on a path to continued success.