Jim is a native Floridian who served in the U.S. Army as an Airborne Military Police Officer for two tours. Upon returning to Florida he worked as a NASA Federal Law Enforcement Officer while concurrently attending the University of Central Florida where he obtained two majors, Criminology and Legal Studies. He then went on to Barry University School of Law where he earned his Juris Doctorate. As an Attorney Jim started out in private practice in Rockledge, Florida where he practiced Family Law, Probate, Contracts and Criminal Defense.
In 2001 Jim started his Public Service as a Federal Attorney. Jim’s first assignment was to the Bay Pines VA Medical Center in St. Petersburg as a staff attorney, he worked there for five years before being transferred to the James A. Haley VA Medical Center in Tampa as a Senior Attorney. He worked there for five years prior to being assigned to Washington D.C. as a Senior Ethics Attorney and Deputy Agency Ethics Official. Jim worked out of Washington for six years until recently being promoted to be Deputy Chief Counsel for the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs Office of General Counsel for the South-East District covering Kentucky, Tennessee, South Carolina, Georgia, Alabama, Mississippi, Florida and Puerto Rico.
Jim has assisted in legal defense and contract reviews for many federal facilities as well as the Fisher House not-for-profit and the Tampa Research Foundation non-profit. He has also had the honor or working as a Special Assistant United States Attorney for the Middle District of Florida. Jim is licensed to practice in Florida, Federal District Court, The 11th Circuit Court of Appeals and the United States Supreme Court. Jim married his High School Sweetheart (they just celebrated their 33rd Anniversary) and they have four beautiful daughters. Jim is active in his local community where he helps with the St. Vincent de Paul Food Pantry and umpires Little League and Hillsborough County High Schools.