Photo by Jim Hofman

On March 11, Gov. Martin O’Malley presented Jim Perdue, the chairman and chief executive officer of Maryland-based Perdue Farms Inc., with the state’s 2010 Governor’s International Leadership Award, given annually to a corporate or industry leader that has helped drive Maryland to global recognition. O’Malley called Perdue “one of the great corporate citizens of our state.”

But how much do we know about Jim Perdue?

Some know him simply as the friendly face bantering on Perdue’s TV commercials. Some know him as businessman: He has continued to expand the company built by his father and grandfather to a multi-billion dollar corporation as it celebrates its 90^th anniversary this year. Some know him as boss: Perdue Farms Inc. contracts many independent family farms in Maryland to raise chickens, especially along the Eastern Shore. Still others know him as controversial: Agriculture is the single largest source of pollution in the Chesapeake Bay, and many of Perdue’s farms are located in the heart of the bay’s watershed. So the nitrogen, phosphorous and other chemicals and metals from the chicken feces drain to the Chesapeake.

Did you know, though, that despite the bad reputation he receives from some Chesapeake Bay advocates, he received a Ph.D. in fisheries from the University of Washington and worked in aquaculture before coming to work for the family business in 1983? He even considered becoming a marine biologist.

While some of Perdue’s vocal critics might be surprised at that fact, there have been indications of his background. His company started a groundbreaking partnership with the Enviromental Protection Agency, the Clean Waters Environmental Initiative, to help contracted farmers comply with environmental regulations and nutrient management plans.

But how much has his past field of study impacted his views on the health of the Chesapeake Bay, and how much has it impacted his business practices?