Jim’s jack-of-all-trades background includes a stint in the Navy, steel construction, retail management, and telecom systems design. What do all these have in common? Two things: Jim’s love of solving problems, and his genuine interest in people. While he was practicing engineering, he found that his favorite part of the process was talking to customers about their challenges and resourcing solutions. This naturally led him to a business development role, and to TEECOM. Now you’ll find him seeking out opportunities for TEECOM in the Pacific Northwest and beyond.

Jim’s dad was a mechanic, and as a child Jim hounded him relentlessly to understand what he was working on. One day when Jim was about 8 years old and asking a series of “What’s that? What does that do?” questions, his dad took out a Holley 4-Barrel carburetor, put it on a blanket, took out some tools, and said, “OK, take this apart and put it back together.” Thus started Jim’s interest in puzzles, problem solving, and everything automotive.

Like many high school boys, Jim played football and loved it. The height gods didn’t bless him, however, so playing at the next level wasn’t an option. As Jim says, “Those who can play will play, those who can’t play will coach, and those who can’t coach will referee.” Jim started coaching at his local high school as a volunteer, and when his son got old enough to play he started coaching youth as well. He’s been coaching youth football ever since.

Music of All Kinds

Growing up around musicians, it was natural for Jim to develop a deep appreciation of music. As a kid he had the opportunity to hear an eclectic range of musical styles, and he found something to appreciate in every genre: R&B, the Blues, classical, jazz. It’s hard for Jim to pick a favorite, but one genre he keeps coming back to is Hawaiian music. Why? It’s the happiest music in the world.