After graduating from Howard University and the University of Pittsburgh, Banks worked in both local and federal government. He was involved in the urban renewal of Southwest D.C. under the Kennedy administration, headed Johnson's planning agency on local anti-poverty programs, and served as the District's first housing director, overseeing the National Capital Housing Authority, the Model Cities program, and D.C.'s Office of Planning.

Banks was the first African-America to head the D.C. Association of Realtors. In the late '70s, when real estate firms finally were hiring black salespeople, his presence reinforced the industry's commitment to change. During his tenure, the Association formed public-private partnerships to rehabilitate old housing and build new housing after the 1968 riots, and it created training programs for students from the Phelps Vocational School.

"In many ways, Jim Banks is a great role model for the way we ought to conduct ourselves in community development," says John Tydings, who, as president of the Greater Washington Board of Trade, has worked closely with Banks over the years.

Banks serves on numerous boards, has won scores of awards for his work in urban development and community service - and shows no signs of slowing down. "If you have the energy, you have the obligation to make the world a better place," he says. "Do what you are obligated to do, but always do a little bit more."