Jim received a B.S. in Geography-Meteorology from Ohio University in 1999, and an M.S. in Geography in 2001. He also served as Associate Director of Scalia Lab during his graduate years from 1999-2001. He currently is the Warning Coordination Meteorologist at the National Weather Service in Jackson, KY, and has been in the position since April 2009. He is responsible for managing inter-agency communications, public education programs and weather safety awareness campaigns and is active in promoting the NWS StormReady Program.

Prior to moving to Jackson, Jim worked at the NWS in Billings, MT as a general forecaster from 2001-2007 and primarily focused on wildfire spot forecasting and forest management weather support. Jim was a Senior Forecaster at the NWS in Louisville, KY from 2007-2009 as well.