With over 30 years of experience both in New York and Washington DC, Jim has directed historic preservation projects of national significance for clients that include the National Park Service, the Department of State, the Architect of the Capitol, and the Smithsonian Institution. As a senior historic preservation architect, he leads SmithGroup’s historic preservation specialty across all 19 offices. Prior to joining SmithGroup, he served as the Director of Preservation and Facilities for Washington National Cathedral for seven years. In this role, Jim oversaw repairs to this landmark facility following the 2011 5.8 magnitude east coast earthquake and he stewarded all historic buildings on the 57-acre Cathedral campus. He also authored a book titled “The Day the Earth Shook” that chronicled these Cathedral earthquake repair efforts.
Jim has served as a member of many technical and philanthropic preservation organizations. He was formerly on the Board of the Association for Preservation Technology and Co-Chaired its 2021 DC Conference and continues to serve on their finance committee. He was a founding co-chair of the APT Documentation Committee and continues to advocate for how modern technologies can better document historic structures through lectures and symposia. Representing APT he served as a delegate for an international preservation trade exchange sponsored by Assorestauro. He is an active member of ICOMOS, the Preservation Maryland, the National Trust for Historic Preservation, and the Michigan Historic Preservation Network. Jim is an active member of the AIA Historic Resources Committee HABS/HAER Subcommittee to support the advancement of historic building documentation.
Jim has been an active member of the DC Preservation League for over a decade and is currently serving on the Project Review Committee.
He is a graduate of Vanderbilt University with a bachelor’s degree in mathematics and psychology. He attended the University of Texas at Austin for a Master of Architecture with a certificate of specialty in Historic Preservation and serves on the Advisory Council for the School of Architecture.
