About Jim Cannon
Director - CapCityKids

Jim Cannon has worked in the finance and M&A advisory field for over 20 years. Jim’s formal education was at the University of Texas at Austin. Jim serves as a Principal at MD Cress & Associates, LLC, a national healthcare advisory firm that focuses on constructing effective business optimization, growth and acquisition strategies that support and expand key business objectives for organizations. Jim is CEO and founder of Commerce Consulting Group, LLC. Jim is active in civic affairs; he is currently on the Board of Directors of CapCityKids, which supports the education of children experiencing homelessness and on the board of his church, Journey Imperfect Faith Community, where he oversees mission activities. He is also active in other local charities including Mobile Loaves and Fishes and Austin Baptist Chapel (Angel House) Jim is married to Victoria Cannon and has two children, a daughter, Quinn, 8 and a son, Nathan, 6. Mr. Cannon is an avid mountain bike rider and a supporter of the University of Texas athletics.

What was the 'aha' moment that got you started in your current career/line of work?
The Aha moment for me was having children of my own. This was followed by a period of “waking up” to a world that was much bigger than me and my immediate family. That began a process of getting involved with local charities and having my eyes opened to a world of need in my own backyard. This has been and continues to be an ongoing process of learning and being aware of everything going on in our community.
What is the most rewarding thing about working in public/social service?
Seeing firsthand how even the little things can be very meaningful to the children we serve. Even providing a child with money to be able to attend a field trip or watching kids walk away with a backpack full of supplies for the year is significant. The second most rewarding part of working with CapCityKids is getting to work beside so many amazing volunteers in Austin focused on making a difference in our city.
What is the most significant issue that you would like to be able to solve?
One of the greatest challenges we face in working with Children facing homelessness is the ability to track them as they move from school district to school district. Our Board has been working on a meaningful way to continue to provided services and contact as the child moves to a new district. The population that we serve is extremely mobile often moving to 3 different schools during a given school year.
How long have you lived in Austin? What brought you here?
I moved to Austin in the summer of 1988. I fell in love with the city visiting my sister while she was attending the University of Texas. I spent a great deal of my childhood moving around and Austin was the first place that really felt like home.
What gadget can't you live without?
My Blackberry has become the one gadget that follows me everywhere. As everyone has migrated to the iPhone and newer mobile devices I am less that excited about learning a new system. I still have a love /hate relationship with how dependent I am on emails and phone calls.