Jim Clarke, is the regional director of the West for the Associated Press. Since joining the nonprofit cooperative in 1993, he has served as a business leader, bureau chief, news editor and reporter for the global media company. Jim has decades of experience in all areas of news content production and management and has successful experience in sales, customer relations, negotiations, recruiting and hiring, managing, marketing, sales and business development. He also paid for graduate school by working as a bricklayer and construction site laborer. So he also can use a trowel.