Jim grew up in the Adirondacks of northern New York where he used to camp and canoe. During his college summers he worked at a state park on Lake George. He has an MBA from Harvard Business School and a BA from Colgate University and served in the US Navy Supply Corps with tours in Vietnam and with the Navy Audit Service. His career began as an environmental studies project manager with a consulting firm in New Jersey. Since then he has worked primarily in financial management with state government, in North Carolina and Georgia. He was the planning coordinator for natural resources, economic development and transportation in Georgia’s Office of Planning and Budget. Then for 17 years, he was the chief financial officer for the public schools of North Carolina under the State Board of Education. Afterwards, he directed an e-learning program for teachers at UNC School of Education until he retired in 2006. He has served on the North Carolina State Employees Credit Union Board for 16 years and with the NC Public School Forum for 25 years. Before moving to Black Mountain, he coordinated the Bird Island Coastal Reserve Steward program on Sunset Beach.
His wife is Linda Bertsch Barber, a retired nurse and clinical research scientist. Together they enjoy just being outdoors, hiking, skiing, cycling, and driving on the Parkway!