After receiving a BSEE from Texas A&M in 1971, Jim began his career as a touring sound engineer and console designer for Dallas-based Showco. In 1980, his team decided to address a problem that been vexing the entertainment industry for decades – how to produce a commercially viable remote controlled spotlight. In a completely novel approach, Jim combined pivoting dichroic filters, the MARC 350 arc lamp, and a single digital data link to produce a prototype. In 1981, a system of 50 VL1TMs, the first digitally controlled robotic spot light, began an international tour with the band Genesis.

Using new techniques such as local processing with cue memory and bi-directional data links, other achievements quickly followed - including the all digital VL2TM and VL3TM luminaires, the Artisan® control console, and the VL4TM, the first arc washlight with crossfading colours. The 90s rendered the Series 300TM system, the VL5TM and VL6TM family of luminaires, and the VL7TM spot luminaire, with revolutionary colour and an 8:1 zoom.

In 1991, Jim received an EMMY award for Outstanding Achievement in Engineering for the Series 200 system; another followed in 1994 for the VL5TM wash luminaire.

Jim and his wife Becky have two children, and now reside in Lago Vista, Texas.