James Guinness

Physical Appearance
A tall man, Jim has an athletic build, noticeable dimples and a rather handsome aspect.

Hobbies
Sailing, fishing and wooden, to-scale model ship building.

Personal Biography
James Michael Guinness was born and raised in Vancouver, Canada, to Dr. James and Eleanor ‘Ellie’ Guinness. Called Jim by family and friends to differentiate himself from his father, he is the oldest of three children; the other two being Charlotte (the middle child) and Martin, the youngest. His father is an prominent surgeon while his mother, a former teacher of art, is a philanthropist who chairs several charities based in Vancouver. Jim and his siblings were loved by their parents; doted on whenever possible. When the father was working long hours at the hospital, mother would whisk the children away to the galleries, museums, the symphony, or just simple picnics at Stanley Park. As busy as she was herself, Ellie always made sure she had time for her children.

Vacations and weekends were spent at the family getaway cottage at nearby Bowen Island where Jim and is brother Marty learned how to sail, fish and hunt both deer and duck. It was during these special times under his father’s wing that Jim discovered a deep love for sailing. Jim grew up in affluence yet his parents made sure he did not develop elitist mores or any sense of entitlement. Jim was sure and confident in himself as a teenager, friendly and approachable, smart and funny. An athlete as well as a bright student, he played basketball in both high school and college. In the summers, he worked on commercial fishing boats and has the calluses to prove it.

Jim attended the University of British Columbia. He had decided to be a doctor like his father. Yet at some point he became fascinated with the workings of the mind and mental illness, especially those illnesses that came with the stress and perils of exploring, colonizing and fighting in outer space. After four years of medical school at McGill, he took his residency with the Earth Cargo Authority’s Mental Health Division. Once he was finished with his residency, Jim took employment with a Martian mining conglomerate as a newly minted psychiatrist. He was making the money, hobnobbing with the elite of Martian society. But it wasn’t enough to really hold his interest and there was the lack of fulfillment in making a difference.

Jim started looking around, asking questions. He was directed toward Starfleet and Starfleet was receptive in having him. After some time at Jupiter Station and his consequent commission, Jim served at a variety of positions mainly as a counselor and an Academy instructor while serving on several boards and committees. After a couple of years of reviewing and assessing the psych profiles of the senior Academy students, he was both delighted and relieved when he received his new assignment as a Counselor attached to the Forrest Outpost.