At Large North America Director
Jim first joined the NMRA in Vietnam as a diversion from the pleasantries of the day. He has been a member, off and on, since that time. Jim is a Dean Emeritus and retired professor of biology from the University of Tampa. Jim currently resides in St Petersburg, Florida, but has lived in a variety of places, including Israel and South Africa on Fulbright fellowships.
He has served in the NMRA as Contest Director and AP Director for the SSR. Jim holds 8 Achievement Certificates and teaches sessions in Modeling With The Masters.
Jim's professional is in the ecology or rivers and streams and water resources management, still conducting consulting jobs all over the US. His expertise has allowed him to travel all over the world and some very fine railfanning, including the last years of steam in Botswana and South Africa, where he fell in love with garrats during their last years of operation. He has over 135 scientific publications as well as three books on water resources management. His wife, Sue, is a retired grant writer for domestic violence agencies in Florida. Together, they continue to travel all over the world and enjoy camping and hiking in Africa.
Having grown up in New Mexico, Jim is a fan of the narrow gauge Chili Line and models a branch line in On30. His layout, the Jemez & Rio Grande, has appeared in Model Railroader, the NMRA Journal, and Railroad Model Hobbyist. He has also published articles on cardstock construction in O Gauge Model Railroading, O Scale Trains, Sn3 Journal, as well as using balsa to create adobe structures in Narrow Gauge & Shortline Gazette.