Jimmy Sparks joined the Army in 1987 and served from 1987-1991 including a tour in Operation Desert Storm.

He graduated from Lamar University in Beaumont, Texas with a Bachelor’s degree in Criminal Justice in 1996 and then attended Texas Tech University where he received a Master’s in Public Administration in 1998.

Since then he has served for over 20 years in various non-profit roles throughout Texas including the successful completion of a $5.5 million dollar capital campaign to build the Hill Country University Center in Fredericksburg, Texas.

He currently serves as the Vice President of Development for the Southeast Texas Food Bank where he has been since 2017.