After graduating from Bishop Turner High School, Jim attended Canisius College for one semester. Then transferred to UB.
Jim married Judith (Judi) Ann Ronan in January, 1971. They have two sons, Jay and Tim. In February, 1971 he started a 10-year career as a toll collector for the New York State Thruway Authority. Jim was promoted to Supervising Toll collector in March or 1974 at the Ripley Tool barrier. In July of 1977 he was transferred back to Buffalo to supervise the Niagara section of the NYS Thruway (route 190). Jim returned to UB and began his computer science studies.
In February, 1981, after earning an associates degree, Jim left the Thruway Authorty with 10 years of service and began his IT career as a COBOL programmer for KVS Information Systems.
While continuing his studies at UB, Jim left KVS in April, 1984 and joined the Academic Computing Services (ACS) staff as a programmer analyst. In 1985, Jim was promoted to Associate Director managing a staff of 5 full-time and 20 part-time employees. During his time in ACS Jim helped organize the Central Help Desk organization, created and offered many short class to faculty, staff, and students, managed and edited the ACS newsletter, managed the Central Computer Accounts office, and contnued to support faculty in the use of technology in the teaching and research efforts.
Jim began his teaching career in 1998 as adjunct faculty for Millard Fillmore College (UB) offering courses in the internet, basic programming, micro-computer applications, web design, systems analysis and design, and other IT-related subjects. Jim earcned hi bachelors in Computer Science in 19986 and a Master of Library Science in 1996.
Jim helped create UBWings, the campus-wide information system and was one of the founding members, along with Dr. Neil Yerkey (UB DLIS) and Jim Finamore (Town of Tonawanda) of the Buffalo Free-Net in 1993. Jim and Mark Winer, a colleague in ACS, formed After five technology in 1993 as one of the first companies in WNY offering training, web design and hosting services to businesses in WNY. In August, 1998 Jim left ACS and joined the faculty of the Computer Science and Engineering Department, teaching Computer Literacy and Computer Programming (Java).
In 1998, After Five technology merged with Edge Global marketing. In 2000, Edge (and it's 27 employees) were acquired by Choice One Communications and became Choice One OnLine where Jim served as Vice President of E-commerce Services.
In 2002, Jim left Choice One to become the Web Database Administrator for Willcare, Inc. where he was responsible for managing the Intranet and Internet presence for Willcare and coordinating the development and integration of their current internal, AS/400-based, legacy systems with their Windows and Linux-based Intranet/Internet solutions.
In July, 2004 Jim returned to UB as the IT Director for the Walkway Node (School of Graduate Education, School of Information Studies, Department of Library Studies, and Communications Department) responsible for managing the team of professional and student employees who support the technical needs of the faculty, staff, and students in the Graduate School of Education and the School of Informatics. The Walkway Node team assists in the use of GSE/SOI classrooms, labs, office computers and printers, other information technology areas.
Jim took an early retirement from the University at Buffalo in October, 2006 to become the Director of Email Services for Synacor, Inc. where he managed a team of systems engineers and web developers during Synacor's launch of the Zimbra email product to over 2,000,000 users.
At Choice One Jim was responsible for leading Choice One OnLine as it positioned itself across the country in the Internet industry. Initial focus was on achieving client and product development objectives within the Choice One Communications footprint. Additionally, Jim oversaw development and deployment of Choice One Internet products in their national market, and assisted in the coordination of business activities as they related to Choice One Communications' mission critical projects.
Prior to joining Choice One, Jim served for two years as Executive Vice President of EdgeNet, Inc, a Buffalo based web design and hosting firm. Jim was integral in helping integrate the 25 employees of EdgeNet into the Choice One organization during and after the acquisition of EdgeNet by Choice One. Prior to that, Jim served as President of After Five Internet Applications, which merged with EdgeNet in 1995. Jim and his partner, Mark Winer, formed After Five in 1993 as a medical billing software company and in 1994 they transitioned into a web design, hosting, and marketing firm with over 10 employees.
Jim also enjoyed a 16-year career at the University at Buffalo where he worked as an Associate Manager of Internet Support Services. In that capacity, Jim supervised 5 full time employees and indirectly managed over 100 student employees. Jim also served on the faculties of the Computer Science and Engineering Department and the School of Information and Library Science at the University at Buffalo. Jim currently teaches for Millard Fillmore College at the University at Buffalo.
Prior to that, Jim was employed by KVS Information Systems, a software solutions company for municipal accounting software, as a Computer Programmer and worked for 10 years as a Toll Collector for the New York State Thruway Authority.
Jim is a graduate from the State University of New York University at Buffalo with a Bachelor of Science degree in Computer Science and a Masters degree in Library Sciences.
Jim is a volunteer in numerous Western New York organizations and currently serves as the Vice President of the Buffalo Free-Net which he helped found in 1993 along with Dr. Neal Yerkey (University at Buffalo) and Jim Finamore (Town of Townada). He resides in Clarence Center, NY, with his wife and has two grown sons who also reside in Western New York.