Jim’s professional career includes 200 missions as a highly decorated Navy combat pilot in Vietnam and over 150 airshows as a demonstration pilot with the world-famous Blue Angels.

Upon completion of his military service, he entered commercial real estate development and ran his own company for five years. Jim then spent nine years in major gift fundraising and senior leadership in a worldwide humanitarian organization, and led 12 major donor vision trips to Africa, Latin America, and Southeast Asia, including two visits to North Vietnam. He spent five years with a Boeing flight simulator training company as a B-737/B-777 flight simulator instructor in addition to leading the development of a new overseas simulator-training program for pilots from China and India.

Prior to his retirement, Jim spent seven years with Pro Athletes Outreach as Chief Operating Officer directing the strategic expansion of a conference-based ministry program for high school coaches and spouses around the country.

Over the past 25 years he has spoken to businesses, non-profit organizations, veterans’ groups, prayer breakfasts, and sports and business chapels; in 1998 he wrote “A Different Kind of Courage”, released nationally through Word Publishing.

Jim is an emerging oil painter, active in his local church and is involved in the leadership of two weekly men’s Bible study fellowship groups. He and his wife Sonya attended Oregon State, and currently live in Sisters, Oregon. They have two grown children and four grandchildren, both families residing in California.