Jim brings more than three decades of leadership in public safety, emergency management, and regional coordination. He began his career with the Los Angeles Fire Department in 1986 and later returned to serve as Interim Fire Chief (2013-2014).

In 2007, he was appointed by the Mayor as General Manager of the Los Angeles Emergency Management Department, where he led citywide emergency preparedness, response coordination, and resilience initiatives until retiring from public service in 2016.

Following his public service career, Jim served as Executive Director of the Los Angeles Homeland Security Advisory Council, supporting regional collaboration through technology integration, training, and education programs for public and private-sector partners across Southern California.

In the aftermath of the January 2025 wildfires, Jim returned to public service at the Mayor’s request to assist in coordinating the City of Los Angeles’ response and recovery efforts