As chair of the DUI Strike Force for several years, Jim spearheaded the implementation of DUI checkpoints at Florida State University, making FSU the first university in the nation to conduct sobriety checkpoints on campus on a regular basis. Jim also developed multiple traffic safety programs including bicycle and pedestrian safety education, seatbelt enforcement, partnership with NASCAR for traffic safety, partnerships with multiple private and non-profit corporations for collaborative traffic safety programming, and more. Additionally, Jim served as an Intoxylizer 5000 technician, an Intoxylizer 8000 operator, and Intoxylizer 400 instructor.
As a grant writer and fund raiser, he raised over one million dollars for the FSU Police Department’s safety programs, including securing hundreds of thousands of dollars for the FSU Motorsports Team, with a mission of promoting motorcycle safety in partnership with the Florida Department of Transportation. He also served as the departmental public information officer for 17 years, handling media relations from minor news stories and up to and including active shooter situations. Jim’s stepson, Matthew Beard, was killed by a DUI driver in 2006 and in 2015, Jim, his son, and his wife Connie were struck by a drug-impaired driver, permanently injuring his wife.
Currently, Jim is a competitive distance cyclist and works as a professional artist.
