Jim has been moving tables and chairs for the Colorado New Play Festival since the very beginning of time and over the years has held numerous positions at the Festival. Jim has been a Trustee at the Public Theater for the past 18 years, serving in a variety of roles and is immediate past Chair of the American Shakespeare Society and the Curious Theatre Company in Denver. Previously he sat on the board of the Denver Center for the Performing Arts for 18 years and the Perry-Mansfield Performing Arts School & Camp for 11 years serving as Treasurer, President and Capital Campaign Chair. He is the only honorary member of the American Theatre Critics Association.

For fifty years Jim was an award-winning photographer garnering many national and international prizes. His book Colorado Scenic Byways, Taking the Other Road was named the official gift of the 2008 Democratic National Convention and of the State of Colorado. He received his undergraduate degree from the University of Wisconsin and his masters and doctorate from the University of Oregon.