Jim is the president and co-owner of Calva Products, which manufactures milk replacers and calf-care products. He and his wife, Sandy, live in Lodi, California. They were both widowed, and married in 2005. Jim and Sandy currently serve as co-chairs of the Knight Society at Brigham Young University, an organization created to recognize the generosity of University donors. Jim is a native Californian.

Sandy had her first horse at age 7 and road by herself all over their rural community. She attended UC Santa Barbara and finished at UCLA in Analytical Biology. Sandy wanted to be a doctor but married the boy next door, a new MD, and she ran his offices as a multi-specialty medical administrator years later. Sandy built the clinics and his eye surgical center. He died and she was a widow in Provo for 14 years. Jim and Sandy met and married in 2005 after his wife passed away. They have 10 children between them, and 24 grandchildren.