Jim Ruffin is a native of Winston-Salem. He graduated from North Carolina State University in 1984 with a B.S. in civil engineering. During his 27-year tenure with a commercial general contracting company, he held positions as field engineer, estimator, project manager, and, ultimately, partner. In 2014, he decided to continue his career as an independent construction consultant and founded Construction Practices. In the spring of 2024, he sold Construction Practices and is filling his time working as a North Carolina Wildlife commissioner along with serving on various non-profit boards.