Jim was elected to the board in October 2015, served one term as a Board Member at Large, two terms as Vice President  (starting in 2017), and was then elected again as a board member at large in 2022. During his time on the board, Jim has been the chairperson of the Audit and Fundraising Committees.  He and his wife Penny won the Martha Hatch Award in 2015 for their many contributions to the Friends and Bosque del Apache, including organizing and running the Wildlife Zone at Festival of the Cranes for eight years. 

Jim and Penny first came to Socorro to visit Bosque del Apache while returning home to Denver; they loved it so much that they moved to Socorro in 2007. While their house was being built, they attended their first Festival of the Cranes that fall. Since that time, Jim and Penny have thrown themselves into making a difference in Socorro, volunteering or holding office in many non-profits, including the Friends of Bosque del Apache.  Jim is a chemical engineer specializing in extractive metallurgy. He has worked for several mining companies and later moved into engineering and construction.

Now, Jim is “mostly retired”, still doing some consulting on occasion. He’s an avid birder and wildlife watcher. Besides his contributions to the Friends of Bosque del Apache, he has also served as President of both the Socorro Amateur Radio Association and the Socorro Tennis Association.