James L. Ward began with a degree in English Literature, working also as a building contractor and designer. He received his BLA in 1979 from the University of Georgia and came to Charleston to work where he worked in the original developments at Kiawah and Seabrook islands in a design-build firm. He transitioned his work downtown working with Edward Pinckney Associates at the College of Charleston and various projects throughout the Southeast. He then was a project manager at LS3P developing the final drawings for the Charleston Airport and Industrial Park, Riverbanks Zoo,  as well as various planning projects in the state. He then worked for PBS&J as project manager for the Charleston Visitors’ Reception and Transportation Center developing community planning guidelines, expanded scope to begin the drainage tunnel efforts, and final approved preliminary drawings.

He was offered an opportunity to be the Landscape Architect for the Government of Bermuda where he was not only the only landscape architect working for government, but also the only “yank”. After over three years of gaining the trust of other government departments, he completed his term being involved in over 250 million dollars of construction projects. He returned to finish his master’s in environmental design participating in a program to deepen educational opportunities for experienced Landscape Architects, specifically concentrating on environmental planning for a solid waste landfill.

He returned to Charleston, where he worked as a quantity surveyor and estimator for Wildwood Landscape Contractors, completing site project management for the Charleston Aquarium Exhibits as well as parks and streetscape works. He also designed a town square for Denmark, SC, and planned several condominium developments, land restoration projects, highway planting, and native planting projects.

He was a professor at the College of Charleston Historic Preservation and Community Planning program for twenty years and simultaneously in the Clemson Masters in Preservation for eight. He left the University having been promoted to Senior Instructor. He also completed over fifty documentation projects downtown and pioneered courses in resiliency, cultural landscapes, and the history of Landscape Architecture. He is now pursuing his passion of landscape design at the intersection of culture and the environment. He consults in pro bono work with the City of Charleston, is a Board Member of West Ashley Connects, is active on the Climate Action Group for Circular Church, and participates in ASLA activities such as the Historic American Landscape Survey and Advocacy effort