Ron James – Biography

Ron James is an award-winning veteran journalist, Navy veteran, author, and digital media pioneer. A native Californian raised in San Diego, he has spent his life at the intersection of storytelling, technology, and public service.

Ron served in the U.S. Navy during the Vietnam War before attending Shasta College, where he graduated with honors and served as student body president. He later earned a B.A. in communications from California State University, Fullerton.

With his brothers, he co-founded James Gang, a beloved San Diego graphic design company and retail surfwear chain still operating today. In the late 1980s, he began developing multimedia CD-ROMs and co-authored The Multimedia Casebook, one of the first interactive textbooks combining video, audio, and hypertext. It became a university standard worldwide.

Ron was an early leader in online journalism, launching San Diego Online in the early1990s for San Diego Magazine, and later serving as the first online editor for Time Warner’s Road Runner. His work in web video broke new ground, including multi-hour webcasts, live sports streaming from Fiji, and professional web-exclusive productions.

He went on to lead SignOnSanDiego.com, the San Diego Union-Tribune’s website, as managing editor for nine years—earning national awards including first place from the Online Journalism Association in 2004. He also founded the San Diego News Network and served as editor-in-chief of San Diego Uptown News.

A past president of the San Diego Press Club, Ron has written for CNS, Fodor’s, and multiple food, wine, and travel publications. He currently serves as CEO of Wine Country Interactive and co-publisher of Wine Dine & Travel Magazine, which he runs with his wife and journalist partner, Mary. Their writing reflects their global travels and deep appreciation for culture, cuisine, and connection.

Outside of journalism, Ron is also a mixed-media artist whose abstract and digital works are exhibited in galleries and private collections worldwide. He remains active in the Society of American Travel Writers, the Society of Professional Journalists, and the San Diego Press Club.

In recent years, Ron has also explored his deep American roots through genealogy research. He is a direct descendant of Mayflower passengers John Howland and Elizabeth Tilley, as well as Mary (Towne) Estey, one of the innocent women executed during the Salem witch trials. On his paternal side, he descends from early Jamestown settlers, including Richard Lee, George Eskridge (guardian to Mary Ball Washington), and Samuel Bennett.

Ron also proudly traces his heritage to the Acadian settlers of French Canada and Nova Scotia. Among them are Abraham Arseneau, Marie Josèphe Hébert, and Bonaventure Thériot—part of the founding families of Acadie. These diverse ancestral lines reflect Ron’s enduring connection to American history and the pioneer spirit that continues to shape his work and life.