James was born in Dallas and grew up in nearby Frisco, Texas. After attending Jesuit College Preparatory School of Dallas, James went on to study accounting at the University of Oklahoma, graduating with a BBA in Accounting in 2019. Following his time at OU, James joined Joe C. Hockaday CPA as an intern while he completed his MS in Accounting at the University of Texas at Dallas, graduating in 2021 with a focus on Tax and Accounting Analytics.

After his graduation from UTD, James joined RSM where he worked in the credits, incentives, and methods department. He worked primarily with the research and development tax credit as well as other credit opportunities for a variety of industries. During his time at RSM, James learned valuable lessons from a large accounting firm and was exposed to a variety of industries including manufacturing, defense, software, food and beverage, and architecture/construction.

James returned to Joe C. Hockaday CPA in spring 2022 because he missed working with smaller clients and being able to provide local businesses with tax knowledge, ensuring Frisco residents have a local tax advisor for the future. James looks forward to many years providing the local community with all their accounting needs.

In his spare time, James enjoys golf, cooking, cheering on the Rangers, Stars, Sooners, Cowboys, and Mavs, as well as spending time with his wife Jacelyn, their young son, and their Cavalier King Charles Spaniel Louie.