A Hospitality Industry executive for over fifty years working in the luxury segment. Jim held management positions with Hyatt Hotels, Ritz-Carlton Company, Destination Kohler Resort and the Auberge Resort Collection; most recently as the general manager of The Umstead Hotel & Spa for more than fourteen years. The only Forbes Five Star hotel in the state. 

Jim has served on the board of directors of the North Carolina Restaurant & Lodging Association, as the board liaison to Visit NC, Greater Raleigh Convention & Tourism Bureau, and Greater Raleigh Chamber of Commerce.

He resides in Raleigh with his wife Ellen, and accepted the assignment to lead the North Carolina Hospitality Alliance in May 2024.