Born and raised in Ipswich, Jim is a fifth generation Ipswich West local.
He attended St Mary’s Primary School before going on to graduate from St. Edmund’s College.
He has long been involved in the communities of Ipswich and throughout the Brisbane Valley.
As a past president of the Ipswich Workers Community Co-operative Jim worked to provide employment opportunities for local people with special needs.
He is involved with a number of local sporting clubs, community action groups and Chambers of Commerce and was previously a board member of Healthy Waterways.
In 2012, Jim was elected as a councillor with Somerset Regional Council, fighting for a better deal for residents.
He successfully led a community campaign fighting the LNP’s cuts, saving the only public bus service in the Brisbane Valley, Translink Service 529.
Jim also fought for better regional health services, successfully bringing the Breastscreen Van to more regional locations in Ipswich West.
Aside from his former service as a councillor, he also ran a small legal practice at Lowood.
His strong sense of fighting for what’s right spurred him to run for Ipswich West after seeing Campbell Newman and Tim Nicholls' cuts hurt the communities he has grown up in and cares for.
Since his election as the State Member for Ipswich West at the 2015 Election, Jim has worked hard as part of Annastacia Palaszcuk's Labor Government to restore frontline services, create local jobs, and deliver the infrastructure our region needs for the future.