Born and raised in Portland, James earned his Bachelor’s degree from Seattle University and his Master’s from Yale. He began his career in 2005 working to develop a 32-acre mixed-use neighborhood that eventually went on to win the National Association of Homebuilders “Green Land Development of the Year.” As a graduate student, he worked as a Teaching Fellow and served on Yale Law School’s Community & Economic Development Clinic. Prior to returning to Portland to join the Cairn Pacific team in 2014, James worked in London to achieve planning consent for a £60M residential project in Kensington & Chelsea.

James enjoys biking with his wife and two sons through Portland and exploring the great places of the Pacific Northwest.

He is a member of Urban Land Institute.