A native of East Tennessee, by way of most of the country, James is a twice graduate of the University of Tennessee. After earning a Bachelor of Music degree, James spent several years fundraising & selling fruit–err, teaching middle and high school band. Leadership, community relations, and program development (not to mention tuning flutes) were skills used and developed daily.
Eager for a new challenge, James took a leap and returned to school to pursue his MBA, gaining extensive knowledge in brand management, demand management, and consumer marketing in the accelerated and immersive 17 month program.
During his MBA program, James interned with the CFDA award-winning designer Michael Bastian, where he got hands-on experience with the design and public relations aspect of the business. James also conducted extensive research in to the supply chain, specifically in trying to move to a larger percentage of domestic production in line with the American made movement, with the added benefits of lower production costs and greater quality control.
Most recently James has been working for Scripps Networks Interactive, managing social media presence, optimization, and interaction.
James lives with his wife Hannah in East Tennessee.