Jim McNamara
James “Jim” McNamara was born and raised in the Panama Canal Zone (now the Republic of Panama). While growing up in the “Zone,” he attended school in Spanish and took up golf, eventually winning the Panama Amateur Championship in 1971. He went on to attend Rollins College in Winter Park, Florida, on a golf scholarship and served as captain of the golf team. He earned his BA in Political Science and Business Administration in 1976.
After receiving wise counsel from golfing legend Arnold Palmer, Jim decided NOT to turn professional and instead pursued an MBA at Thunderbird School of Global Management in Phoenix, Arizona. Upon graduation in 1977, he married his sweetheart, Lana, and joined Mark H. McCormack’s International Management Group (IMG) on Palmer’s recommendation.
Jim began his business career as a sports agent at IMG. After four years—including a stint in Rio de Janeiro—he discovered his passion for television, joining IMG’s broadcast arm, Trans World International. His career shifted from sports to general entertainment, where he packaged and sold miniseries, television movies, soap operas, and action series around the world while working for companies such as New World Entertainment and Universal Studios.
Mr. McNamara is also a member and Past Chairman of the Board of the Hispanic Scholarship Fund, the largest Hispanic scholarship organization in the United States.
Jim and Lana have been married for over 48 years and have lived in Key Biscayne since relocating to the Miami area in 1999. They have three children—Elizabeth, Christine, and Jimmy—and four wonderful grandchildren.
