Jim holds a Doctor of Ministry degree from Campbell University Divinity School, which he earned in 2008. While employed by Baptist Children’s Homes of North Carolina for 13 years, Jim filled the roles of social worker, pastor, and Director of Campus Enrichment. He retired from the ministry in 2010.
After receiving training as an integrative health coach through Duke Integrative Medicine, Jim founded Open Water Coaching and Consulting in January 2011. Open Water provides health, career, and family/parenting coaching. From 2011-2014, Jim served as the lead coach and trainer in Motivational Interviewing with the Heart-Healthy Lenoir Project, an NIH grant-funded research project providing telephonic health coaching for patients with hypertension. He is a trainer in motivational interviewing and a member of the Motivational Interviewing Network of Trainers (MINT), providing training and workshops for healthcare providers and staff.
