BIO

Turner James was named as Birch Tree Communities’ Chief Operations Officer (COO) in February 2022. He is a licensed clinical social worker (LCSW) and began his career at Birch Tree as an overnight staff member. In more than 15 years at Birch Tree, he has worked as a case manager, therapist, branch director, and COO. Prior to his career in mental health, James was a financial advisor at Merrill Lynch.

James holds a Bachelor of Science degree from the University of Arkansas, Master of Science degree from the University of Central Arkansas, and Master of Business Administration and Master of Social Work from the University of Arkansas at Little Rock.

James is originally from Searcy, and as a young person, he sincerely enjoyed his time achieving the goal of being named as an Eagle Scout. He and his wife Kathy, who is also a LCSW, have three children, Tripp, Jake, and Jordan. He enjoys traveling with family, walking the dogs, and spending time outdoors fishing and duck hunting. He is an active member at St. James United Methodist Church.