Serving Others. I came to believe in public service attending church and Catholic school as a teenager. I learned that I really enjoy serving others in the Boy Scouts, where I rose to the rank of Eagle Scout.

I was certainly steeped in the concept of duty and service as a cadet at the United States Military Academy at West Point and leading ceremonies at Arlington National Cemetery and the U.S. Capitol as an officer in the prestigious 3rd U.S. Infantry Regt., the Old Guard.

I’ve continued to serve others by donating my time to pro bono legal service and acting as an Assistant Scoutmaster and leader in BSA Troops 271 and 219 (the first female BSA Troop in Cedar Park).

My wife, Sarah, is a humanitarian aid professional who previously worked for Doctors Without Borders and now works with one of the world’s largest faith-based NGOs. We connected over our joint belief in the importance of service to others, and that’s something we work hard to share with our six children – perhaps our greatest service project of all.  I look forward to serving the city of Cedar Park.

Solving Problems. I’ve always loved to read, think and talk about new ideas and old challenges. I’m an incurable history buff, and the historical people I admire most are the people who applied their ingenuity, the values of their community and a dose of courage to solve the problems of their time – whether that’s George Washington founding our country, Abraham Lincoln recognizing the humanity in us all, or a young Lyndon Johnson pushing through legislation to electrify the Hill Country (creating Lake Travis in the process). Both in my military service and in my legal career supporting entrepreneurs, I’ve worked with many modern heroes solving old problems with new ideas, such as new clean energy technologies for the military, cybersecurity and even privatizing space travel. I hope to apply my curiosity and passion for new ideas to find new solutions and opportunities to address the challenges facing our growing city in the years to come.

 Jim on Leadership

Bringing People Together. I am at my best when I’m working with people with different ideas and backgrounds to accomplish a mutual goal.  This is a skill and a habit I have honed while serving in combat and then negotiating important business deals around the world.  I brought this talent to the Cedar Park City Council, and together with my colleagues we have restored civility and brought exciting new opportunities and steady progress to our city.

I first learned this about myself while serving as an infantry officer in Afghanistan and Iraq. I realized that I was good at relating to and bringing together people from very different walks of life. From the local village elders to the young soldiers from across America, I worked to help them understand what we had in common in order to find a shared purpose.

After completing my military service, I graduated from Georgetown Law school and became a deal lawyer for the same reason. In my career, I’ve negotiated multi-million-dollar mergers, small and large venture capital financings for innovative tech start-ups, commercial partnerships between age-old competitors and massive international energy projects.

 A Combat Veteran Serving People

& Solving Problems

Serving Others. I came to believe in public service attending church and Catholic school as a teenager. I learned that I really enjoy serving others in the Boy Scouts, where I rose to the rank of Eagle Scout.

I was certainly steeped in the concept of duty and service as a cadet at the United States Military Academy at West Point and leading ceremonies at Arlington National Cemetery and the U.S. Capitol as an officer in the prestigious 3rd U.S. Infantry Regt., the Old Guard.

I’ve continued to serve others by donating my time to pro bono legal service and acting as an Assistant Scoutmaster and leader in BSA Troops 271 and 219 (the first female BSA Troop in Cedar Park).

My wife, Sarah, is a humanitarian aid professional who previously worked for Doctors Without Borders and now works with one of the world’s largest faith-based NGOs. We connected over our joint belief in the importance of service to others, and that’s something we work hard to share with our six children – perhaps our greatest service project of all.  I look forward to serving the city of Cedar Park.

Solving Problems. I’ve always loved to read, think and talk about new ideas and old challenges. I’m an incurable history buff, and the historical people I admire most are the people who applied their ingenuity, the values of their community and a dose of courage to solve the problems of their time – whether that’s George Washington founding our country, Abraham Lincoln recognizing the humanity in us all, or a young Lyndon Johnson pushing through legislation to electrify the Hill Country (creating Lake Travis in the process). Both in my military service and in my legal career supporting entrepreneurs, I’ve worked with many modern heroes solving old problems with new ideas, such as new clean energy technologies for the military, cybersecurity and even privatizing space travel. I hope to apply my curiosity and passion for new ideas to find new solutions and opportunities to address the challenges facing our growing city in the years to come.